Yet I will be Thankful Come What May!

Pilgrim Father's leaving England, from Victorian book dated 1883

This year has been a doozy for a lot of us. From COVID, to an election that started and ended with complete chaos our minds have strayed far from seeing the many blessings of God. As the holidays approach us there is a lot of uncertainty in our lives. Should we have dinner with our older family members with chances that they might get sick? Should we have smaller gatherings with just immediate family? Should we not even celebrate Thanksgiving at all? No matter your decision around celebrating or not, we can still give thanks to our God for the many blessings he has provided to us each day.

Paul David Tripp words it this way, “It is a daily battle, one that is free of physical weapons, political parties, and national boundaries. It is a battle that has been raging since the garden and will not stop until the war is finally won. This battle is not fought between people, it is fought within people. It is a much greater danger to each of us than war between nations will ever be. It is a battle of awe. We were created to live in a real, heart-gripping, agenda-setting, behavior-forming awe of God. But other awes kidnap our hearts. Awe of creation, awe of other people, and awe of ourselves shove the awe of God out of our hearts. So, we need grace to see again, to tremble again, and to bow down again at the feet of the One who deserves our awe.”

This should convict all of us. We each are guilty of this! How often do we reflect upon things of this world yet fail to reflect upon God? We take the good gifts that God has given us and exalt them above Him. Our hearts crave for the creation rather than the creator. It is so easy for us to look away and remove all gratitude from our hearts. Yet we must remember that each and every blessing comes from God. Nothing is possible without Him. He gives us every single breath that we take and knows the exact number of hairs on our head. We must remember not to neglect this. This should be on our minds continually, not just throughout the holidays.

This year as we gather with our families, we should remember that God has blessed us with the time that we are able to spend with them. Life is but a vapor. It is here today and gone tomorrow. If this year has taught us anything, it has shown us the frailty of life.  We should thank God for the opportunity to laugh, eat, and give thanks with our families. As we dive into that turkey or yummy mac and cheese, we must remember to praise God for the hands that prepared it. We should thank Him for creating those ingredients that mix oh so perfectly together.  Let us treasure the many blessings and gifts He has given us but also remember that He has provided them. This Thanksgiving we must ask God to be graceful to our wandering hearts. We should take time daily to pray that He will enable us to see with clear eyes the blessings within our lives.  

Allow this holiday season to draw you closer to the LORD by dwelling on Him and having a heart full of thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.” This year’s Thanksgiving may not be ideal to a lot of us. Our circumstances of celebration may look different, yet no matter how the holidays around us might look, The LORDS will for us is to give thanks for everything. Let us remember the real reason of Thanksgiving--Give thanks for all! In all circumstances give thanks and praise to God.

References

Tripp, P. D. (2014). New Morning Mercies. Illinois: Crossway.