November 26, 2020 (Thursday)
Let us all be thankful
”How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:12-14 NIV). The Psalmist feels like thanking the Lord. Hopefully, so do all of us. At this Thanksgiving season, how do we thank the Lord?
- First, we say, “Thank you.” Surely that is self-evident as our first responsibility. The Lord is the source of our blessings. We begin and end the day with thanksgiving, and throughout the day we thank Him. We thank Him for everything through our attitude and with our words. The person who feels no gratitude tends to be sour and cynical; the truly thankful person is radiant.
- Then, we keep our promises. As the Psalmist put it, “I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.” Along life’s journey, we make promises to God. We should keep those promises. Before we make another vow to God, we should examine those we have already made. We surely do not want to break our vows. A good way to observe Thanksgiving is to examine our own hearts before the Lord, rededicating ourselves to serving Him as we have promised.
- Finally, we share our blessings. Sharing is the cure for selfishness, which betrays an unthankful heart. Generosity is born of a thankful spirit. The only way to serve God is to serve others. Giving to the Lord’s work is a way of expressing our thanks to Him. Sharing our income is a symbol of our commitment to Christ.
On Thanksgiving Day, let us tell the Lord how much we appreciate His blessings, and let us rededicate our lives to Him to become a channel of His blessings for others.
(Repeated from 2008)