POINT OF INSPIRATION
Devotionals for Personal or Corporate Worship
On Thanksgiving Day Make Thanks Central!
by Robert D. Pace
In the early 1900s, Guideposts Magazine published a story by the poet, William Stidger. It disclosed a letter Stidger had written to his literature teacher, which thanked her for instilling a love for poetry. Stidger’s teacher wrote back: “I want to let you know how much your letter meant to me. I am an old lady in my eighties, living alone in a small room. I taught for fifty years, yet in all that time, yours is the first letter of appreciation I have ever received.”
Sadly, gratitude is a virtue lacking in many people, which is one reason Christians should emphasize it during the Thanksgiving Season.
George Washington, acting upon a Resolution by the US Federal Congress, named November 26, 1789, as a day of thanksgiving to God. Subsequent Presidents announced days for “national thanksgiving” but in 1863, it was Abraham Lincoln who made Thanksgiving Day official. This national holiday was instituted to express gratitude toward God for His providence, grace, and goodness. It was done in agreement with how the Pilgrim had set aside one special day each year to express thanks to the benevolent God who had directed them to America.
Today, the essence of Thanksgiving is largely forgotten or ignored, as it has been transformed into an extended weekend of recreation, shopping, and sports events. But the Church is one institution that can keep this sacred holiday in perspective, and use it to glorify God.
As your friends ask how you will celebrate this holiday, let them know that whatever else you do, your plans will include a time of thanksgiving to God. As you worship him, thank him for how his grace has enriched your life; recount his answers to your prayers; show appreciation for Christ’s goodness; thank God for his abundant mercies toward you and your loved ones. In whatever way your plans unfold to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, make certain to place thanks at the center.