The Thanksgiving holiday (in America) is a day set aside to give thanks to God for all His blessings in our lives.
The Scriptures show us that we should be people who give thanks to God far more comprehensively than just for one day a year. Take a look at Psalm 100:
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100 offers several reasons as to why we should posture our lives with thanksgiving. Perhaps the most powerful of those reasons are found in the five simple words from the passage. These words are, "For the Lord is good." It is a declaration concerning the essential character and nature of God. The Lord is good. He is not bad; He is not mean-spirited; He is not deceitful; THE LORD IS GOOD!
Consider other things that we know to be true about God. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and always and everywhere present. These attributes speak of the power and wisdom of God. They speak of the comprehensive nature of God that we can't escape. We also know that He is the ruler and the judge, the final arbiter of all things, whose word and will are definite and final. There is an incomprehensible authority, power, and majesty to God, and all of these things are wonderful only because God is good!
Consider for a moment how terrifying it would be if God were all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-encompassing but was not always altogether good. That is a terrifying thought. If God were inconsistent, prone to react in anger, unpredictable in His righteousness, or played favorites, we should all live in abject terror. We would never know what might happen, how God might respond, or how we should relate to Him. Our best hope for any day would be to "not be noticed," if that were even possible. The great hope and joy of our lives are to know that The God who spoke the world into existence is always and forever good.
There is a children's mealtime blessing that begins, "God is great and God is good." Both of these declarations are true. We usually think of great being better than good, but the goodness of God is far better than the greatness of God. Therefore, since God is never less than wholly, thoroughly, and perfectly good, the greatness of God is to be celebrated.
"God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good." This truth means we can and should be people with thankful hearts, no matter the immediate circumstances. So have a little extra gravy on your turkey and dressing this Thanksgiving holiday, and rejoice in the goodness of God.
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.