On Thanksgiving (And The Civil War)

"Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat" (Acts 27:35). 

The nights are cooler, the leaves are falling, and my dogs recently tasted pheasant feathers; Fall has begun. Fall brings Thanksgiving, which is only two days before the Civil War. Unfortunately, Beaver fans have to look back to 2007 to find a Civil War win. But if that is what it takes to muster up gratitude to Oregon State, I’ll take it.

Speaking of gratitude, I'd like to focus on giving thanks. First, I perceive a problem. For example, we often hear well meaning individuals say “have faith!” This statement makes us ask “have faith in what?” I’ve heard similar statements at Thanksgiving, for example, “Be thankful!” or “I’m thankful for life.” Friends, this is a time when Christians ought to be able to communicate clear gratitude to their God. God should receive thanks for what He has done in us, so that everyone at our Thanksgiving table can hear about our God.

Our God receives thanks in Acts 27:35 when Paul thanked Him directly among many other men. Notice that he does not thank the men who loaded the food onto the ship, nor the owners of the food, but God alone. Our gratitude must be given to someone, so I suggest that you give it first to God for all to hear. Let’s not leave the whole family in a fog as to whom you are thankful. Otherwise, they may assume that you are thankful to the earth, or to the turkey who gave its life so that they could eat. Let’s thank God directly to honor Him, and He will hear it.

Our God receives thanks in Acts 27:35 for what He has done. Paul, who had been shipwrecked, gave thanks for the food God provided. This reminds us of Jesus; He often paused in prayer to thank the Father for food. It is good to thank God before our Thanksgiving meal. But shouldn’t our gratitude extend beyond food? 1 Corinthians 1:4 says “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.” And as we read further from verses 5 to 9 we notice that this church received much from God, so much that they had every gift (v. 7). God’s grace saved them and gave them all they needed, and for that Paul thanked God directly.

Lastly, our God should receive thanks for all things. Ephesians 5:18-21 says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with you heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-21). We who are in Christ must be thankful to God always and for everything. We must be thankful for the pain and the joy, the weakness and the strength because through it all we are made more like Christ. Now, let’s thank God that we don’t have to look back to 2007 to muster up gratitude toward Him, for His grace is apparent each day.