As we all know, in approximately three weeks this country will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. In all reality this is a very beautiful tradition as it was established by the colony of pilgrims that was formed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with only one purpose; the purpose of this date of celebration was to thank God for the blessings that they had received and were continuing to receive. Although in the beginning every State celebrated this date at different times, eventually Thanksgiving Day was established as the last Thursday of November. The problem that exists is that through time, the original meaning of this date has lost its value. The sad truth is that the majority of people only see this day as one less day of work, they see it as a day for a party or family reunion, and that is all. As all of us here know, today we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day as a church, and we will share a very delicious meal. However, before we share this delicious food, I want all of us to reflect in the beautiful significance of this day, therefore, let us now turn to the Word of God.
Psalms 96:6-8 - Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. 7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.
In order for us to have a better understanding of the message that God has for us today, it will be necessary for us to focus our attention in the definition of the word “Ascribe”. Ascribe is derived from the Greek word “yahab” which means to provide, give[1]. And the word give is defined as: 1: to make a present of. 2: to grant or bestow by formal action. 3: to accord or yield to another 4: to put into the possession of another for his or her use[2]. Why is it so important that we concentrate on this one word? The reason why we need to concentrate in the definition of this one word is because generally, when ever think about giving, they immediately associate this word with money or some sort of monetary payment; however, as we can see although this word may be used to describe the monetary, for the believer this word has a much higher meaning than this. I say that it has a higher meaning because the truth of it all is that God is not looking to see how much we offer or not offer, what God looks at is your heart. This is something that we are told very clearly in Proverbs 20:27 when we read: “The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being”. God is not seeking your money, what God wants is for us to place our absolute trust in Him at all times; in other words, He wants us to strengthen our faith; He wants us to act according to His Word; He wants us to demonstrate the power of His glory by producing good fruits. Having established these brief details, and keeping the definition of this word fresh in mind, let us now continue with our study for today.
The first thing that we find here is that we are told: “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary”. I know that there is a very large group of people that think that they have nothing to be thankful of. I know that there is a very large group of people that are at this times traversing through some very difficult times; especially in the tough times of financial uncertainty that this country is facing; however, regardless of any difficulty that we may find ourselves in, there is always a reason to thank God, and praise His holy name. What do we have to be thankful for?
I know that what I am about to tell you is something that I have repeated on other occasions, but the fact that we are gathered here today is a great reason to thank God. Why do I say this? I say this because there are countless people in the world that would love to gather in a place to praise and worship God, but they cannot. Say it with me: Thank you Lord for this place! The fact that we have been able to listen to these praise and worship songs is a great reason to thank God. Why do I say this? I say this because there are countless people in the world that would love to be able to hear, but they cannot. Say it with me: Thank you God for I can hear! The fact that we are able to express ourselves, sing and worship freely is a great reason to thank God. Why do I say this? I say this because there are many believers that live in countries where they do not have the liberty that we sometimes take for granted. Say it with me: Thank you Lord for the freedom you have given me!
The fact that we opened our eyes this morning is a great reason to thank God. Why do I say this? I say this because this means that He has blessed us with one more day of life; therefore providing us with another opportunity to repent and draw near Him. Say it with me: Thank you Lord for this day that you have given me! The fact that at the end of this service all of us will share a very delicious meal is a great reason to thank God. Why do I say this? I say this because has abundantly blessed us so that we may be able to share this meal. Say it with me: Thank you Lord for the food and bountiful blessings that you have given us. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary”. Tell the person sitting next to you: Praise God! Say it with me: Thank you Lord for your kindness!
Continuing we read: “Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength”. This is something that all of us must do. We have to proclaim God’s glory and mercy at all times. This is not something that we do with money, it is something that we do through our behavior; the believer ascribes to the Lord with the fruit that he produces. This is why in Matthew 3:8 Jesus tells us: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance”. We have to demonstrate to the world that God’s power is the only thing that can solve all problems. God’s power is the only thing that can provide peace during difficult times. This is something that is clearly reflected in Philippians 4:6-7 when we read: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It is only through God’s power and mercy that we can achieve this; the world does not understand how a believer can keep his faith through difficult times, because the world seeks the solution in the world; however, the faithful believer seeks the answer in God’s power. Our strength is found in God’s power; the faith believer deposits his future in Him. How can we ascribe to the Lord? We ascribe to the Lord by strengthening our faith; we ascribe to the Lord by producing good fruits; we ascribe to the Lord by depositing out absolute trust in His glory and power. Tell the person sitting next to you: “ascribe to the LORD glory and strength”.
Continuing we read: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts”. As faithful believers we have to render God the glory due His name. We can never forget that it is only through His grace that we can now confidently approach His throne, and find the solution to our afflictions and difficulties. Look carefully at how this is clearly stated in Hebrews 4:16 when we read: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”. Why can we now approach His throne in such a fashion? It is because we are so righteous? Is it because we have done or are doing so many good deeds? The answer is NO! The only reason why we now have access to God’s throne is: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Say it with me: Thank you Lord for your grace. The Word here states: “bring an offering and come into his courts”. Like I said in the beginning, the word “ascribe” also means to “give”, which is this case it means to bring an offer of money to the temple, but this is not the only offering that God seeks. This is something that is clearly reflected in Romans 15:15-16 when we read: “I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” What is the best offering that you can give God? The best offering that you can give God is your love, your devotion, and your loyalty. The best offering that you can give God is to proclaim the greatness of His name, and to preach the faith in Jesus Christ and the Christian values. The best offering that you can give God is to announce His plan of salvation to all of those that surround you and bring them with you to church. Tell the person sitting next to you: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name”.
In conclusion; this beautiful day of celebration slowly, but surely, has been losing its real meeting. I say to you today, do not allow this to happen in your home. Do not allow that on this Thanksgiving Day your house be full of family and guests, but that God is not present. There are so many things for which we must thank God that it is impossible to list them all.
As I have said on other occasions, there is a blessing in everything. In only a few days, we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but for us, that is to say, all of us that have made a genuine commitment to Christ, Thanksgiving Day is everyday. Let us remember that on this Thanksgiving Day, and in everyday that the Lord offers us we have the power to be the example to follow. We can set the example in our family, with our friends, and with our coworkers. Let us remember: “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. 7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.” Ascribe to the Lord today your heart, devotion and love. Brethren, today is a very special day because we are all gathered together in harmony in the house of our Father, and we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. So let us all now say: thank you Lord for the blessing you have bestowed upon us.
[1] Blue Letter Bible Lexicon
[2] Merriam Webster Dictionary
