Thanksgiving includes you!

The story is short but the lesson gets delivered. Here it is.
"As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out,
"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
He looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!"
He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, "Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?" (Luke 17:11-17, NLT)

Assumed gratitude is no thanks!
"But she ought to know how much I appreciate what she does." Really? How, exactly, by reading your mind?
"He needs me to tell him that I appreciate his efforts? Why? Is he insecure or something?" No, he's just a normal person in need of affirmation from time to time.

God desires our praise, our gratitude, too. He doesn't need it, nor do we add anything to the One who is sufficient in Himself, but He desires it. Praise, a form of thankfulness, is the way we are told to enter into His Presence. If your having difficulties entering into worship individually or when you're in church, start to thank God. Make a list of things for which you are grateful. Murmur your praise for what He's done, Who He is, or the things He has promised to do!

On Thanksgiving Day, make sure to be thankful. Many will fail on this key point. It's not that they will complain, they will just assume that God and everybody else knows that they are grateful. Enjoy your feast! Watch some football! And, make sure to take some time to give thanks - liberally and sincerely. Don't cause the Lord to say of you, "Didn't I... where is his thanks?" If you're a little short on gratitude or unsure of what to say, then read this Psalm aloud. And, I assure you, He will be blessed by your praise!

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100, NIV)
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Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!

Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and dreary fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!

Thanks for pain and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside.
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!

Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity! Amen.

Thanks To God For My Redeemer
Storm, August Ludvig / Hultman, John A.
© Public Domain

Thank you for reading along! It is my privilege to share my devotional journal with you each day. TFTD is sent with a prayer that God will use these words to encourage you to serve Him with gladness.See you on Monday, Lord-willing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

An American Heresy

I do not expect to get any "amen" emails in response to this TFTD!
What I am about to write will be thought to be almost 'un-American.'

Here goes: We all should re-think how we celebrate Christmas this year! Why this note now? Because the orgy of consumer spending is set to kick off in just four days on the infamous 'Black Friday' that follows Thanksgiving.

There is a big LIE that we learn as toddlers which continues to deceive many people to the grave; I am what I own. A variant is; I will be happy when I own ______ . I am not exempt, either. I want a 42" LCD HD 1080i TV, even though the TV I have works perfectly well. I just want it. My last two forays to stores have included at least 15 minutes of gazing on large screen TV's with deep longing and the urge to buy one screaming in my mind. Is there anything wrong with a bigger TV? No, of course not. What I must deal with is the deception: 'Jerry, you will be happy and more cool if you buy it!' If I buy a new TV the decision should be about the functional place it has in my life. If the purchase is made in an attempt to soothe my soul or to try prove my worth as a person to myself, I only make the big lie stronger in my life! I am wise enough to know that even if I buy one, in a couple of months my 'want-er' will be demanding something else telling me that it will make me happy.

We manage to conveniently ignore much of what the New Testament says about materialism and/or greed. One does not need to understand Koine Greek (the original language of the NT) or have a Master's degree in Biblical studies to grasp the truth. Here are a couple of those passages.

• "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Timothy 6:7-8, NIV)
  
• "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5, NIV)
  
• "I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." (Philippians 4:10-12, NLT)
  

Here's the keystone truth, from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15, NIV) In other words, 'we are not defined by what we own!'

Before you jump into the typical spending spree that has come to define an American Christmas, prayerfully meditate on those passages. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to enter joyfully into the discipline of 'fasting' - yes, that ancient choice to say no to desires of the body that refocuses our love towards God, the Spirit. Perhaps the best fast this month would be the 'mall fast!' One of my 'fasts' this month will be not reading all of those advertising inserts that offer 40% off retail, that seduce me with not so subtle messages that 'the good life' can be purchased!

The gifts that I do buy this year I want to be thoughtful, chosen as an expression of love, not given to satisfy a sense of obligation. No, I am not Scrooge. This has nothing to do with wanting to hang onto my money. I pray these choices will be part of learning to give and receive the best gifts, those that will not lose their luster a few days after the wrapping paper is torn off.

Let this great promise wrap you in peace today and then go love others extravagantly.

"My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.... My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. ...
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. ...
This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other." - 1 John 4: 1,4, 7, 10-11, The Message

Stupid Words?

The talking heads on television are amazing in that they just keep talking, and talking, and talking. Panels of 'wise men' inform us of the right course of action for our nation's ills, each convinced of his superior insights. Have Bill Bennett, James Carville, or Ann Coulter ever taken a moment to reflect on their bombast? I love to watch football, but when John Madden is calling the game, I turn off the sound from time to time, just to avoid his endless blather. Instead of helping me enjoy the game, the words that spill out of him just get in the way.

Wasted words, if piled up, would make the world's largest garbage dump. We humans have a love of talk which quickly gets us into trouble. When we think we just have to say something if we want to appear informed, clever, or included; we quickly wander into the realm of toxic speech. "Me, too," is a quick way to dig ourselves a hole from which is it tough to escape. Conversation is a great gift and those who know how to share their knowledge and/or life with others over a cup of coffee enjoy a real advantage in the world. But, gossiping about others, which is what happens too frequently, has no good end. Boasting about our achievements quickly leads us to lying. Trying to address issues of which we have no real knowledge will soon bring folly to light.

Paul wrote a couple of letters to a young preacher he loved like his own son. His counsel to Timothy is now part of the inspired Word, wisdom for all ages. In his second letter to Timothy, he says, "Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. ... Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. ... Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights." (2 Timothy 2:23, NLT) What wisdom!

James is equally direct. He says, "If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. " (James 1:26, NLT) In Proverbs, that book packed with pithy wisdom, we are advised that "Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut." (Proverbs 10:19, NLT) Consider this: "Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words." (Proverbs 18:7, The Message)

Yes, words can bless, heal, and encourage. "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." (Proverbs 25:11, NIV)

Think of those conversations that have left you with a joyful heart, or with insight that was critically important. Don't you want your words to have that kind of impact on others? I sure do!

So, let us pray this today: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NIV)
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