Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Background

It’s been less than two weeks since Thanksgiving Day. But in many ways, it seems like much longer than that. Christmas music has been playing non-stop on some radio stations, various Christmas parades have already taken place, and we’ve already had three days of shopping that have their own names – Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday! If it’s possible to feel sorry for a holiday, that is what I feel for Thanksgiving. This special day, which embodies as much of the heart of God as Easter and Christmas, has degenerated within the general public into an opening act for Christmas shopping and too often gets referred to as Turkey Day. In fact, that shopping phenomenon that used to start in the wee hours of the Friday after Thanksgiving, causing the bargain hunters to get up well before dawn to wait in line for their deals, recently upped its start time to begin right at midnight. But as if that wasn’t enough, the blackness of Friday poured out into the Thanksgiving of Thursday so that many of the stores opened their doors Thursday evening, practically interrupting the turkey-induced naps that come as part of the Thanksgiving meal. I think it’s safe to say that the days of Black Friday have essentially passed, and that gone is the era of everything shutting down for Thanksgiving.

Application

This new model of the holidays doesn’t swell up within me much in the way of thanks. So my challenge for all of us is to carry forward the thanks that may have been robbed from Thanksgiving. While so much effort is put into scouring the sale papers and battling the crowds, I call upon God’s children to battle the trends and scour our lives in search of blessings for which we should be thankful. For in giving thanks, our hearts lose their critical edge. In giving thanks, our list of “must haves” and “wants” begins to shrink. In giving thanks, our spirits get prepared for the celebration of the incarnation of God’s Son. Give thanks in memory of a dying … Thanksgiving Day, but in honor and anticipation of a risen Savior.

Charge

As we seek Him today, thank some people for what they do and who they are. Let praise and gratitude dominate your speech.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words