Thanksgiving 2021

This Thursday is Thanksgiving for some people it is just a day or two off work. For stores it seems that Thanksgiving just passes them by, they already have their displays for Christmas. I believe Thanksgiving should be something we have every day of the year, but to have a day set aside to thank Almighty God for what He has and continues to do is an opportunity I do not want to miss.

“What’s the best song to play while cooking a turkey?” “All about that baste.”

Bad I know, don’t worry buckle up because they get worse.

Why did the police arrest the turkey? They suspected fowl play.

Why did the turkey cross the road twice? To prove he wasn’t a chicken!

“Why did the cranberries turn red?” “Because they saw the turkey dressing.”

Ok I think that’s enough don’t you?

Oh alright one more.

What happened when the turkey got into a fight? He got the stuffing knocked out of him!

There’s a story told of an elderly man The day before Thanksgiving in Phoenix who called his son in New York and said to him, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough. We’re sick of each other, you need to call your sister in Chicago and tell her.”

Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone. “Like heck they’re getting divorced,” she shouted, “I’ll take care of this.” She called Phoenix immediately, and said to her father.

“You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?”

The man hung up his phone and turned to his wife. “Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their own flights.”

Psalm 69:30 (KJV 1900): 30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify him with thanksgiving.

David said, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving.”

The word “magnify” can be used in two different ways. It can mean: to make something appear greater than it is, as with a microscope or a magnifying glass.

Or it can mean: make something that may seem small or insignificant appear to be as great as it really is.

So, there are two kinds of magnifying: microscope and telescope magnifying. The one makes a small thing look bigger than it is.

The other makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is.

When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean: “I will make a small God look bigger than he is. He means: “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.”

We are not called to be microscopes, but telescopes. Christians are not called to be con-men who magnify their product out of all proportion to reality, when they know the competitor’s product is far superior.

Hear this church, there is nothing and there is nobody superior to God. And so, the calling of those who love God is to make his greatness begin to look as great as it really is.

Our calling as a believer can be summed up like this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is.

Psalm 103:1–2 (NIV): Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
Another translation says it like this: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Psalm 77:11 (NIV): I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

We are called to be telescopes: people who make the greatness of God seem as great as it really is.

That is what it means as a follower of Jesus to magnify God. But you can’t magnify what you haven’t seen or what you quickly forget. So our first task is to see and to remember the greatness and goodness of God.

This Thursday is Thanksgiving. One day in which we like those early Pilgrims set aside time in our busy schedules to give thanks to God. Now, there is nothing wrong with that but the word of God tells us that this should be a continual, daily, attitude.

Ephesians 5:19–20 (NIV): speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Thessalonians. 5:16-18 the Scripture says,

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NIV): Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Paul is talking about a continual attitude for us to have as believers – an attitude of the heart.

But how, you may wonder, can we have this attitude continually, especially “in all circumstances?”

Look what we are told in the book of Habakkuk chapter 3 verses 17 and 18. . .

Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NIV): Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

How many knows that it can be extremely difficult to be thankful when it seems like all Hell is crashing in around you?

Yet Habakkuk tells us. . .

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

In other words when it seems like nothing is going in my favor, when it looks like my year of plenty has ended, when all my animals have left I will still be thankful.

We are about to have a big meal.

Thursday will come and we will feast again. Where we can gobble till we wobble.

Then we have left overs for a week. Days off work to celebrate.

But in Habakkuk they didn’t have that certainty.

They really weren’t sure what the future held.   But they were determined that no matter what, they were going to rejoice in the Lord.   They were going to be thankful.

For what? They understood what God had already done, they understood what He had promised, and they believed He would accomplish all that He said.

It’s interesting that for many of us our thankfulness is determined  by our circumstances. If we feel blessed we are thankful. If everything is going in our direction, we are thankful. If there’s money in the bank, then. . .I can shout, I can dance, and I can be thankful, but if it’s not then I’m just going to be miserable.

And sing my song, it’s my party. . .

Once again let me read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. . .

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice when? When all is well. . .no. When everybody likes me. . .no. When I feel like it. . .no. Always!

Pray when? After I’ve tried everything else. ..no. When I schedule it in my calendar. . .no. When we have a prayer meeting at the church. . .no. Continually!

Give thanks when? When I win the lottery. . .no. Win I get my promotion. . .no. When the sermon is over (have a little fun here). . .no. Scripture tells us, In all circumstances!

Church what you need to understand is that when you are in Christ, so are your circumstances.

The apostle Paul said it well. . .

Philippians 4:11–13 (NIV): 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11–13 (TPT): I’m not telling you this because I’m in need, for I have learned to be satisfied in any circumstance. 12–13 I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger.  And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.

I want you to think about the first Thanksgiving for a moment, put yourself there. The year is 1621. The year before that 102 of them in come and by the time of the first harvest in 1621 fifty-six died due to starvation, disease and the cold winter, but along with the 90Wampanoag Indians from a nearby village, including their leader Massasoit.

They had what is known now as Thanksgiving.   That was not the original name mind you, to them it was just a harvest celebration.

Now think about this. . .

They had no homes or government agency to help them build homes.

Their preferred mode of transportation was. . .their legs.

Alright maybe not preferred, but that’s all they had.

Their food, well it came from the sea and the forest, and they had to get it for themselves. No running to Walmart, Meijer, or Family Fare with their shopping lists.

They had no amusements except what they made for themselves, they didn’t go into their homes turn on one of 500 channels and decide to stop on the history channel. . .they were the history channel.

There were no cell phone communication with their relatives back in England.

There was no social security, retirement accounts, or Medicare. . .and yet. . .they were thankful.

We are one of the most blessed peoples of the world and for many of us thankfulness seems to occur only when we feel we have something real special to be thankful for.

Well I have news for you, you do. . .Jesus came and rescued us.

And yet for many it’s simply a choice and not a command as Scripture points out to us. . .Paul didn’t give us a suggestion He said, Give thanks in all circumstances.

We need to learn to always be thankful. Not just this Thursday, but always and may this be your Thanksgiving prayer.

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Let me end on a more serious note.

Play letters of thanks