GIVING THANKS

 

Thursday, November 27, 2025

 

GIVING THANKS

 

Psa. 116:12-14

12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

 

Psa_4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

 

What can I give to a God who owns everything? The verse above suggests two very lovely gifts for any occasion.

 

1. THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

 

The Hebrew for “righteousness” is tsedeq and means that which is morally and legally right. This is not the righteousness we get FROM God but the moral and legal righteousness we give TO God. It means that God wants me to make right decisions, have right attitudes and that my heart should be right as well.

 

The Psalmist recognizes “doing right” to be a sacrifice, literally “a slaughter.” It indicates that doing right is not natural for fallen man. It requires something from man and limits at least his freedom to do wrong.

 

The whole idea is to slaughter my “right” to self-expression and self-motivation and to do those things that are well pleasing to God. It may require extra effort on my part, or it may require me to lose something I value. I willingly sacrifice those things as part of my gift to God.

 

2. THE GIFT OF TRUST!

 

The word batach which is the basis for “put your trust in the Lord” is not as easily understood. It means to confide in, to flee for refuge, and to rest without suspecting danger. It means to rely so fully in the Lord’s guardianship that I can sleep through a storm. It is, after all, the same kind of trust Jesus placed in the Father.

 

Mark 4:37-40

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

 

Dear Lord, on this Thanksgiving Day, I offer you two gifts that are not easy for me to give up. First, I offer the gift of doing right. Next, I offer my complete trust and confidence in you no matter that the storm that may rage around me. AMEN

 

THANKSGIVING BEGINS IN THE HEART!

 

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

 

THANKSGIVING BEGINS IN THE HEART!

 

Ps 116:12-14

12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord .

14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

 

Luke 17:12-17

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

 

          The word “render” as it is used in Psalm chapter 116 and verse 12 is the Hebrew word shuwb and literally means “to turn back” with the idea of “returning to the starting point.” This is perfectly illustrated in Luke 17:15 where we find only one of ten lepers returning to give thanks for his healing. Ninety percent displayed no thanks.

 

          The plain fact is that no one can force you to be thankful! You either are thankful, or you are not. Our parents taught us to say a simple table grace. This introduced to our young minds the concept of thanksgiving. If someone were nice to us or gave us candy, mother would always ask: “Now what do we say?” The answer, of course, was “Thank you.” But even mother could not make us truly thankful. She could only teach us the actions of thanksgiving.

 

          When we receive benefits for which we did not have to work, it should make us grateful. However, it is also possible to begin to think of these benefits as entitlements. We think someone else owes us all these things and we become like pouting spoiled children who throw their toys and pick at their food. Good things are greedily gobbled up without thanks.

 

          Thanksgiving always causes us to turn back and sometimes to return to the starting point. We begin to consider our true self-worth and how little we deserve. When we make lists, they are not wish lists but lists of blessings already received. We look around and observe a bounty that is not only sufficient but enough to share. Thankful people are always giving people.

 

          I was born on Thanksgiving Day 1946. It’s true! I have been told that the timing of my arrival interrupted the doctor’s dinner, but this did not make me a thankful person. No, I am thankful because of an event that happened many years before on a lonely hill in Jerusalem. On that hill the Son of God hung on a cross and paid my sin-debt. I didn’t deserve it, and certainly was not entitled to it, but God adopted me into His family because of the sacrifice of His Son. Since that day, because my Father is a great king, I have lived like a prince!

 

Dear Father, you have lavished upon me great gifts and privileges. Lord give me one more thing. Give me a thankful heart. AMEN

 

WAITING LIKE A FARMER!

 

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

 

Yes, it’s a classic.

 

WAITING LIKE A FARMER!

 

James 5:7-8

7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman [farmer] waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

 

          Picture a local coffee shop very early in the morning. One old farmer has just arrived and jingles the bell as he gently closes the door behind him. He is dressed in overalls, flannel shirt, work boots and an oily John Deer cap. He joins a group of other farmers in the corner where two tables have been pushed together. The smell of coffee is in the air. Yonder comes the waitress with a smile and a fresh mug. She doesn’t ask but simply pours the mug full of black steaming brew.

 

          All these men are working! What looks like a lazy interruption of the farmers’ work is actually the hard job of waiting. All these farmers know that once their work is done the rest is up to God. The soil has been plowed, and the seed has been sown. Now they settle down to pray for rain and to exercise patience. God is now actively working because no farmer can control the weather. Too much rain can rot the crop, and too much sun can burn it. An early frost can be devastating. Yes, all these men are working hard at talking, drinking coffee, and waiting.

 

          James pictures the Christian as a spiritual farmer. There are seasons to the spiritual life and sometimes it appears that nothing is being done. This is the season that requires patience. It is a time to repair and sharpen the equipment and to sit with others and hope over a cup of coffee.

 

          Here, then, is the secret to endurance. We need to remember that God is trying to produce a harvest of spiritual fruit in our lives. Seeds of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith” are beginning to sprout in us. Trials and troubles are sometimes needed for the harvest. So, grab a mug of patience, with a side order of hope, and take a seat at the table of waiting.

 

Dear Lord, the signs of harvest are all around us. Help us as we exercise the hard work of patience. AMEN