“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!” (Psalm 100:4 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)
Many of you will not only feast on turkeys and hams in a couple of days, along with a plethora of perfectly cooked sides, plenty of desserts, post-dinner time “samaches.” (sandwiches!) late in the evening, and to ensure the feasting continues until the next day, many of you will pack a full-size, white “to-go box,” so the feasting can continue the next day. Yes, store, cafeteria, and restaurant sales will probably be lower than normal on Friday
By invoking, realizing that sometimes the invoking seems like joking; some folks will announce self-prescribed “diet,” in preparation for a great day of extraordinary and sometimes excessive eating as they celebrate “Thanksgiving.” Hopefully, there will be some great thanks given on “thanksgiving” to the Lord, our Great God, in equally great portions of expressions of gratitude. Yet while folks, including you, perhaps, are waiting with great anticipation for the feast, they (and you too) might as well have some nuggets. And are you ready? I got some for you1 They don’t come in a red box or a white sack Furthermore, these nuggets are free! They are statements prepared shared by Dr. Herman C. King as he preached Sunday at Salt Of The Earth Church in Indianapolis. Let me give you a “six-piece” order.
- Thanksgiving is an everyday thing!
- Quote Shared: “God forgive me if I asked more than I thanked.”
- Giving thanks has a textual foundation. (Just refer to the verse above, for now, but later think of all the other biblical admonitions to give thanks to our God!)
- When you give thanks, you honor the Giver!
- When you give thanks, you edify the lost!
- Compose thankfulness! (Listen! Just in the rare case that you can’t think of what to say, use the words of the song written and composed by R.C. Ward, words that the preacher recited as he moved to the close of his sermon, just before preaching Christ, crucified and resurrected. I listed the well-chosen words below, in place of a closing verse. Read them!)
My friend, that’s your “six-piece,” and I hope this was more than a snack! Be blessed!
“When waves of affliction sweep over the soul
And sunlight is hidden from view,
If ever you’re tempted to fret or complain,
Just think of His goodness to you.
Refrain:
Just think of His goodness to you;
Yes, think of His goodness to you;
Though storms o’er you sweep,
He is able to keep;
O think of His goodness to you.
Misfortune’s dark cloud my hang over the way,
Despite your best efforts to do;
The Savior is guarding your treasures up there;
Just think of His goodness to you. [Refrain] When dear ones are taken away from you here,
You loved with affection so true,
Look unto the Savior for strength to endure,
And think of His goodness to you.”
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King