As we all know in just a few days this country will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Americans as well as Hispanics will celebrate this day in the same fashion. This is a day when everyone will clear their agenda, and everyone will find the time to come together and enjoy an opulent dinner. This is a very beautiful tradition because it is a day when families come together, share memories and laughs, and interact with one another. But the problem that exists is that this so beautiful and special day, this day designated as a day for thanking God, with time has been losing its real meaning. Unfortunately many don’t see it for what it really is, a day for thanking God, they just simple see it as on less day of work, they see it as a day for a family reunion or party, and nothing else. Many have forgotten or have simply chosen to ignore that this day was highlighted by the founders of this great nation with a purpose. They have forgotten or simply have chosen to ignore that the purpose of this day was to thank God for everything that He had done for them. There are many that will have a lavish party on that day, many will have a big list of special guests, but one thing that many will forget to do is invite the most important guest of all. Many will invite a large number of people, but they will forget to invite God. Why does this happen? For the most part this happens because many fail to realize all that God has done in their life. This is why today I want us to reflect in what we should be thanking God for. Let’s now turn to the Word of God.
Psalms 96:1-13 - Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 3Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 4For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 6Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. 8Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.” 11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; 12Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice 13before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.
As I always say, to have a better understanding of the message that God has for us today, it will be necessary to conduct a brief history review. Therefore, let’s get to know this Christian tradition a little better. When we take the time to research the origins of this tradition we discover that it had its birth in the United States of America in 1621. This tradition was started by the pilgrims of the colony established in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The reason for its beginning was that they were very grateful for the bountiful harvest, and for the way that the colony had prospered; the governor of the colony declared: “all you pilgrims, with your wife and children, gather in the communal house on the hill side… to listen to the pastor, and give thanks to almighty God for all of His blessings. Tell the person sitting next to you: “For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised”. So here we have the true origin of thanksgiving; the day was born from the desire of the heart of these people to set aside a special day to thank God for all of His blessings. From that time on, this tradition spread to all of the states, but was celebrated in different ways and dates. Finally in October 3, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln published the following proclamation from the White House:
“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”
With this proclamation the date for this celebration was therefore set as the last Thursday of every November, and as we have seen, the president urged the people to prayer. In other words, it is just as we find in the psalm when we read “Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength”. Knowing the origin and purpose of this tradition a little better, let’s now continue with our study for today.
What has happened is that there are a large number of people in this world that think that they have nothing for which to give thanks. Many think this way because they may be going through or have just gone through difficult times; be it with their family, husband, wife, son, daughter, friends or at their jobs. But I say to you that although we may be experiencing a time of our life that we may consider difficult, there is always something that we should thank God for. Let’s reflect on this for a moment to determine if what I am saying makes any sense. What do we have to be thankful for? When we take the time to carefully analyze our life, I think that all of us here will reach the same conclusion; we have everything to be thankful for. But if you can’t think of anything that you should thank God for, something that I think is absolutely impossible, at the very least you should be extremely thankful for the salvation that you now enjoy due to the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made in the cross for all of us. Tell the person sitting next to you “Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day”. So if for no other reason, this should be a day of devotion to our God, thanking Him for His mercy and love. But unfortunately there are many that have stopped seeing this date for what it really is. This is something that has happened because through time the true meaning of this date has been diluted. The true meaning of this date has been dissolved. The true meaning of this date has been diluted in such a way that now people only see it as one less day of work, and as a day for a family reunion. The original purpose of thanking God for His blessings and mercy has been replaced by a feast. The original purpose of thanking God for His mercy and love has become just one more occasion to drink alcoholic beverages, and watch football games on the television. Why has this happened? This has occurred because slowly but surely, God’s popularity has been eliminated from the main stream.
In the verses that we are studying today we read “For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens”. Why do I want us to pay close attention to this verse? The reason is because it makes a very powerful and truthful declaration; a very large number of people have totally rejected God’s blessing to worship gods and idols. Perhaps many may be thinking that what I am saying does not make any sense; many of you may be thinking that you would never worship, revere or pay any type of homage to an idol. But if you think this way I invite you to reflect in your life today, as idolatry encompasses a very large territory. This is something that is clearly illustrated in Colossians 3:5 when we read “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”. Why must be pay close attention to this particular verse? We must pay very close attention to what the apostle Paul said here because the truth of it all is that a genuine believer will never be attracted by gods or idols made of stone or plaster; the genuine believer knows God’s truth, and that truth has set him free. But because none of us are perfect, and none will attain perfection while we live in this world, we can be tempted, and sadly enough on occasion seduced, by material, religious, emotional, and intellectual idols. Let me explain.
To clear up any doubt, the first thing that we must do is ask ourselves, what is an idol? When we look up this word in the dictionary we find that it is defined as “1: a representation or symbol of an object of worship; broadly: a false god. 2: a likeness of something 3: a form or appearance visible but without substance. 4: an object of extreme devotion. 5: a false conception”. As we can appreciate, this definition encompasses the stone statutes and false gods that first come to the mind of every believer upon hearing the word idol, but we also clearly see that it encompasses a very large field of things as well. Let’s now examine one idol that many serve without realizing it. Please note that the definition of this word does include “an object of extreme devotion”. What then can an idol be to a person? I would say that materialism and the love of money is the main one responsible for separating people from God’s presence. The reality of it all is that materialism abounds in a country such as ours. This has caused many to stop trusting God, to trust things that are not lasting; things as money and possessions. This leads many to live a life in constant pursuit of the material things, leaving far behind the spiritual, which is a genuine relationship with our God and Savior. Tell the person next to you, But the LORD made the heavens”.
In this psalm that we are studying today we read “Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. 8Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.” 11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; 12Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice 13before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth”. What do we have to be thankful for? I know that I have said this on numerous occasions, but the fact that we are gathered here together is a great reason for which to be thankful; I say this because there are many people around this world that would love to be able to come together in a place like this to worship God, but they can’t. Thank you Lord for this place that you have provided us! The fact that we were able to hear the praise and worship portion of the service is a reason to thank God; I say this because there are many people that would be willing to give even that which they don’t have to be able to hear the praises, but they can’t hear. Thank you God for my hearing! The fact that we are able to freely express ourselves, and sing praises is a reason to thank God; there are many people in this world that live in countries where the liberty that we enjoy, and oftentimes undervalue, does not exist. Thank you God for the liberty that you have given us! The fact that we opened our eyes this morning is a reason to thank God; because this means that God has granted us another day of life. Thank you God for one day more of life! The fact that we will be enjoying a delicious dinner next Thursday is a reason to thank God; because just like in the past, when God blessed the pilgrims with a bountiful harvest, God has blessed every single one of us here with more that enough food to meet our needs. Thank you God for the food and the blessings that you have given us! Tell the person next to you, “Give to the LORD the glory due His name”.
God’s mercy and love is something that many undervalue, but the reality of it all is that without it, none of us would be gathered here today. Regardless of how good we may think that we are, none of us here are worthy to stand before God’s presence. This is something that is very clearly stated in Romans 3:23 when we read “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. But because of His mercy and love, we can all now reach His presence. Look at how this is stated in Titus 3:4-6 when we read “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior”. Because of God’s mercy we can now confidently draw near Him, and find the solutions to our afflictions and difficulties. Look at how this is clearly stated in Hebrews 4:16 when we read “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. I don’t know about you, but I say today, thank you God for your infinite mercy! The psalm that we have used today tells us “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; 12Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice 13before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth”. Tell the person sitting next to you “Give to the LORD the glory due His name”.
In conclusion. This beautiful day of celebration has slowly but surely been losing its intended meaning. Slowly but surely God is being erased from the minds of people; don’t allow this to happen to you. Don’t allow your home to be filled with friends and relatives this thanksgiving day, without God being present. There are innumerable reasons to be thankful of God; as I have said in numerous occasions there is a blessing in everything. When we reflect in our life, I am sure that we will all realize that God places everything within our reach, but on many occasions we forget to give thanks. It is sad to think about the fact that right now there are many people in this world that are going hungry. It is sad to think that there are numerous children that will die from curable diseases, because they will not be able to receive the medicines or medical attention that they need. It is sad to think that thousands of people die on a daily basis without Christ in their hearts. It is sad to think about all of these things, and many do not like to do so, but unfortunately it is the truth. It is for these reasons that we can never say that we nothing for which to be thankful; we have to be thankful to God in everything and for everything. This is something that is very clearly stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 when we read “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”.
In only a few days we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but for the genuine believer Thanksgiving Day is everyday. It will be very beautiful to gather in our homes, it will be very beautiful to share with our friends, but we should be thanking our celestial Father for His mercy and love everyday of our life. Don’t forget to set the example to follow, don’t forget the beautiful inheritance that you will be leaving behind by celebrating this date for its intended meaning. A day to give thanks to God; a day of prayer thanking Him for everything that He does, has done, and will continue to do. As you sit down to enjoy your thanksgiving feast, don’t forget to say “today we thank you Lord for all of the blessings that you have given us; we thank you Lord for the bountiful feast that you have provided and for your presence in our home. Let us thank God on this special day for all of the blessings, but let’s always remember that this is something that we should do daily. The world has attempted to eliminate God from the minds of people, and that is why the world is in the shape that it is in. I say to you today, invite Him into your home, and welcome Him into your heart. I say to you today “Give to the LORD the glory due His name”.
