Thanksgiving

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving. For me personally, it was a wonderful day. I was able to spend it with my wife, daughters and part of our extended family. Throughout the day I found myself thinking both of things I was thankful for and of Thanksgivings from my past. As the day comes to an end, I am thankful for this day and everything that was a part of it as well.

One thing I've noticed recently is the number of people who no longer call this day Thanksgiving. For many it's become "Turkey Day." Perhaps some say that thinking their being funny. This year it seems the number of people of people using this phrase has increased greatly from what I remember in the past. I hope we never forget the focus of this day.

I realize of course that as Christians, everyday should be a day of thanksgiving. We should constantly remember our position as lost sinners and be thankful for the forgiving love of our Father in Heaven. When we pray we should want to thank Him for all the countless blessings He bestows upon us. Even though we live in a world that seems to become more sinful by the day, I hope we don't fall into disrespecting the one day that even the secular world considers to be a day of thanksgiving.

There are so many verses that deal with and teach about thankfulness which of course is our gratitude for our blessings. Second Thessalonians 2:13 reminds us that it is our duty to be thankful. Our gratitude should be never ending (Ephesians 1:16). Thanksgiving is ultimately the theme of Heaven as we read in Revelation 7:12.

We are also reminded in the Scriptures of so many things that we should express our thanks for. Among them are food (John 6:11,23), answered prayers (John 11:41), our salvation (Second Corinthians 9:15) our ultimate victory over death (First Corinthians 15:57) our changed lives (First Thessalonians 2:13) along with so many other examples.

So even though this day has ended, I hope in the future that we don't fall into such silliness as making light of a day that was set aside by a non-religious institution as a day of thanksgiving. It should be a day that we as thankful Christians embrace, emphasize and make the most of.