The Truth about Thanksgiving

Walking in the Truth

Today's Scripture

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 15:57

Today's Devotional Thoughts

Let's get one thing straight right away, & I hope you won't be disappointed. This devotion, despite its title, is no politically-correct screed involving the first Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation, whether Thanksgiving is a secular or religious holiday, whatever. 

Instead, I'm going to suggest that you reminisce. If you're a parent [and if you're not, you might still relate], remember taking your kids out on Halloween? Every time you knocked on a door, every time they received a treat, didn't you have to remind them to say, "Thank you!" It took awhile for them to catch on.

Warning! Digression! Here's where many of you, I'll bet, can relate, even if you're not a parent. Doesn't it just aggravate you at least a little bit when you answer the door for trick-or-treaters, hand out generous fistfuls of candy, & DON'T receive any semblance of gratitude in return? 

Another reminiscence . . . It's Christmas. The kids are opening presents. Gleefully. Riotously. Wrapping paper getting shredded & tossed all over the place. Presents being revealed. Squeals of delight [Mostly. When you're my age & mostly getting socks or sweaters, you don't squeal as much.] And once again, reminder after reminder . . . 

What do you say? "Thank you!" It takes awhile to catch on.

But it's an important habit to instill, is it not? It's a social grace, even when we receive a gift that may not be all that thrilling. And it's an important response when a favor is bestowed upon us. But gratitude must be learned, right? It doesn't come naturally.

Today is celebrated as a National Day of Thanksgiving [at least in the United States]. * We are encouraged to be thankful, & many if not most of us will sit down around a Thanksgiving feast at some point today--a feast that--at our house--will include roast turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing [My wife's is legendary!], green bean casserole, cream cheese & corn, homemade rolls w/butter, pumpkin pie . . . And we will give a hearty & heartfelt thanks for the "food we are about to eat."

And we will also give thanks for our nation, our freedom, our family, our many, many creature comforts--especially in contrast to those living in so many places where creature comforts are in short supply. [No, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty.] **
** Well, maybe just a little.

Warning! Time to get back to the focus of this devotion--The Truth about Thanksgiving!

It's found in today's scripture reading. Give me all the turkey in the world. Give me a warm house, a car that doesn't slide into the ditch on snowy roads, loving family & friends, cute grand-kids [although a couple of them are taxing my patience right now, fighting over a board game], good health, freedom . . . 

And it's not that I'm ungrateful! I am so, so grateful, so, so thankful. All of these mean the world to me. So do you! But all of it shrinks, disappears actually, compared to the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ, which St. Paul speaks about in today's scripture reading.

What victory would that be? It's the Truth about our Lord Jesus Christ! 

• He IS the Way, the Truth, the Life. 
• Because of His grace--His great, undeserved love for us, forgiveness is made possible for us.
• Because of His grace, salvation is made possible for us.
• Because of His grace, all the material blessings we enjoy in this world, are made possible for us.

Okay, I think it's time to wrap this up. Happy Thanksgiving!

Today's Thanksgiving Prayer ***

Lord, to You immortal praise For the love that crowns our days;
Bounteous Source of ev'ry joy, Let Your praise our tongues employ.
All to You, our God, we owe, Source whence all our blessings flow.

***Lutheran Worship, #496, stanza 1, by Anna Barbauld

* Here's a digression that has nothing to do with this devotion, but I thought you might find it entertaining. On Thanksgiving Day, 1974, I was in a bus, traveling across Ontario on my way to North Tonawanda, NY. I was a senior at Concordia Teachers College, Seward, NE, doing my student teaching at Lutheran High School West in Detroit, & was going to spend Thanksgiving with family friends. As we drove through towns & cities in Ontario, I couldn't help noticing how many people were out & about. Stores were open. Business apparently was being transacted, as usual. Where was the respect for Thanksgiving Day? Canadians! Hmmph. Yes, it was after I got to New York & expressed my self-righteousness that I was reminded of the fact that Canada celebrates it's own National Day of Thanksgiving, not coincidental with our own. Duh.