Thanksgiving

yes, I have been away again for awhile.  Sometimes it is just necessary to take a break from things and regroup, relax, refresh.  What brings me to post today is Thanksgiving, which we will celebrate on Thursday.  For my non-American readers, Thanksgiving is an American holiday where we bring our families together and celebrate the things we are thankful for.  It began with the first Colonial settlers and the Native American Indians that inhabited the land before they came to the New World so many, many ages ago.

However, I do believe thanksgiving is a universal subject and one vitally important to the Christian walk and daily living.

I began thinking this week about what I am thankful for.  Of course, I am thankful for the basic things: food, my home, my job, my family, husband, children and the list can go on.  But everyone is thankful for those things.  So...what I am really thankful for?

I was driving in to work this morning pondering this post and talking with the Lord.  I know I am thankful, but I am thankful for so many things in my life and so many people in my life.  But I am thankful for so much more than that.   I want to live an attitude of thanksgiving.  The Holy Spirit gently reminded me of a scripture in Psalms. 

Psa 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

The temple in the Bible where all people went to worship had several sections: 

1. The gate into the temple
2. The outer court
3. The inner court
4. The Holy of Holies

The Holy of Holies was where the presence of God was said to dwell.  Only the priests were allowed into the Holy of Holies at that time. 

So, when the people entered into the temple to worship, they were come to through the gates giving thanks to God.  In Hebrew, the word for thanksgiving in this scripture means:

confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks (-giving, offering) giving adoration.

Why enter into the temple with adoration, and praise, and thanksgiving?

Psa 100:5 For Jehovah is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.

He is good!  His mercy is everlasting and never runs out!  His truth stands the test of time even through all generations!  Could there be a better reason to give thanks? 

Giving thanks gives way to praise to Jehovah for all that He has done.  Praise gives way to worship to Jehovah for Who He is. 

Giving thanks begins to usher us into the presence of the Holy One of Israel.  We no longer must rely on a priest or pastor to take our petitions, offerings of thanksgiving , sacrifices of praise to Jehovah.  The veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the people was torn when Jesus Christ died on the cross.  We have the opportunity to worship Him directly.    We can sing or shout His praises directly to Him.  We have the opportunity now to fall on our faces in the presence of the Almighty, the Great I AM and offer all praise and worship to Him. 

And it all begins with Thanksgiving.  Not once a month, or once a year...but every day should be lived in an attitude of thanksgiving.  I know I fall short of that, but I am convicted this holiday season to remember and to thank God every day for what He has done in my life, in my heart, and for Who He Is.  He is I AM.  He is everything.