Pastor's Page
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” —Psalm 107:1The National Thanksgiving Proclamation was the first formal proclamation of Thanksgiving in the United States. President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.
It is important to give thanks. Giving thanks emphasizes several important Scriptural truths:
1) God is our Creator, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27. We are thankful to God our Creator for the gift of physical life. We would not have life had He not acted to call us into being. Remembering God is our Creator causes us to rejoice, because we have been given a very precious gift. Thankfulness to our Creator swells within us as we
realize the uniqueness of our personal existence and the wonder of His love for us. “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14.
2) God is our Redeemer, Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25. We are thankful to God our Redeemer who has
given us the wonderful gifts of
forgiveness, mercy, restoration, release from the bondage of guilt, removal of the tyranny of death through the sure and certain
resurrection. These are certainly facts that bring thankfulness to our hearts! “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57.
3) God is our Sanctifier and so we say with Jesus, “At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy
Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.” Luke 10:21 We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,” Ephesians 1:13. Our hearts are filled with thankfulness for the gift of the “Spirit of Truth” John 16:13, who lives within us, assuring us that we are God’s and leading us in His truth!
I pray that you will be motivated to give thanks to our Lord always because of His grace so fully and abundantly given to you! “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Thankfully,
Pastor Rick
