Thanksgiving: November 25, 2010

Today's Word for Thursday November 25, 2010

THANKSGIVING

DEFINITION

An occasion to give thanks to God.

SCRIPTURE

Offer to God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the most high. Psalm 50:14.

Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving: let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Today is Thanksgiving in America. This is a unique holiday celebrated by decree only in America. When the first settlers came to the shores of America they set aside a day to give thanks to God for all of His blessings to them. They were a grateful group of people that knew that their freedom, their success and their blessings came from God.

How will you spend today? All across America people will celebrate Thanksgiving by going to or watching on television parades or football games. Families will get together for big feasts and eat and drink until the day is over. The problem with most Americans is that they have forgotten God and do not even think to thank Him for the blessings that they have personally received let alone to thank Him for how He has blessed our country.

In our family, Thanksgiving has always been a special day of thanksgiving. As far back as we can remember it was a time for our family to get together. But more important it was a time that we took to thank God for His blessings. As you read this devotional today we will be doing the same - having Thanksgiving with some of our family and thanking God for His past blessings but also asking God for continual blessings for ourselves, our family, our friends and our nation and world.

The psalmist in the three verses we have listed above gives us several suggestions for us to do today. First, he suggests that we offer God thanksgiving and fulfill our vows to Him. Most of us have so much to thank God for today such as our salvation, our family, our health, our freedoms and our friends.

Secondly, we are to come before His presence - pray - with thanksgiving and shout joyfully to Him with psalms --- singing. And finally the psalmist suggests that we enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. As a family today we will take the time to enter into His gates by praying with joy and thankfulness for all that he has and is doing for us.

We urge you and your family to make this day very special. Whatever busy schedules you have planned take the time to give thanksgiving to your Lord, your Savior and your God. Have a most blessed Thanksgiving and together let us praise the Lord with all of our hearts, mind and soul.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 4:19.

God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

PRAYER

We thank You Lord, that we live in a country that has set aside a day to give thanks to You for Your blessings. As a family we thank You for all that You have given to us. Help us to never take Your blessings for granted and to always give You the praise and glory for what we have. May our family be a blessing to others and may our words and deeds throughout this special day exalt Your name in all that we do.