Thanksgiving is a special day. Originally, it was set aside for being thankful for a bountiful harvest, and we still are. But it has become so much more. It is a time when we gather together, usually for a big meal, but it is a precious family time. Now let me remind us that it is a time of being mindful of the blessings God has given to us.It truly is a “thanksgiving.” Now really, for the Christian every day needs to be a day of thanksgiving, and certainly on the first day of the week when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we come together in thanksgiving.A most wonderful thing is to be a part of God’s church where believers fellowship together in love and care for one another. What a great blessing it is when we worship together in thanksgiving.The apostle Paul expressed his thanks to the churches and expressed his thankfulness in three ways. He was thankful for their faith. He said that he gave thanks to God for their faith (Col. 1:3-4). For faith is the channel through which our salvation comes, as he told the Ephesians, “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). What better way can we give thanks on this day than to remember our Lord’s gift that gives salvation.Faith is the knowledge that God is in control. Many individuals are experiencing difficult things, yet as Christians, even in such times there we can have a thankful heart because of the knowledge that God is there. Faith makes possible our daily Christian walk. We remember the difficult conditions in Paul’s life, but he still exclaimed: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).Our faith and hope must stand in Him alone. It does not come by righteous deeds we may do, and it does not come through any other person. It comes by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God— Him alone.Now as we gather around our family tables today let us also remember that where there is faith, there is also love. God’s love is given to all who believe (Rom. 5:5). Our faith and God’s ...
