Promise for Today - Find Me Grateful

NOTE: For the rest of November, I will share Thanksgiving moments written by other authors.

Today's devotional was written by Morgan Farris.
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In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;  let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” 
Isaiah 12:4-6

If you grew up in America, you probably grew up with turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and lots of memories with your extended family. The Thanksgiving holiday is sort of the pre-Christmas celebration, and we lucky Americans get to have a five-week-long holiday season because of it.

But I wonder if we ever stop to truly ponder the word or even the story behind the Thanksgiving holiday.  At the risk of boring you with a history lesson, I’ll sum up the story of the pilgrims this way: Christians fleeing religious oppression in Europe, thanks to the Reformation, hopped on a ship and sailed to an unknown, wild land, for the sole purpose of being able to worship God freely. That takes guts, I tell you. When I think of all they risked and all they endured for the sake of their faith, I wonder if I would have the same gumption. I doubt that when they sat down for that first Thanksgiving meal over four hundred years ago, they ever imagined the impact it would have on an entire nation. I doubt they ever understood the magnitude of their faith, their obedience, and their gratefulness.

The pilgrims set an example of gratitude for us all. They made known the name of the Holy One of Israel to the nations with a simple act of obedience. All they did was worship with thanksgiving in their hearts.  The Father looked down and found them grateful. What a beautiful example for us all.

This year, I’m asking the Lord to forgive me for the times I’ve been indifferent to His goodness. And this year, my prayer is that the Father would find me grateful in all things.

Prayer:

Lord, 

        Help us to be people of gratitude. Help us to worship You with a thankfulness that permeates every part of our lives – the corporate moments and the private prayers. Father, help us to look for Your goodness and Your glory in all things. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Psalms for Pilgrims

I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.
2 We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
4 We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant.
Psalm 123 NLT

1What if the Lord had not been on our side?
Let all Israel repeat:
2 What if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us?
3 They would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger.
4 The waters would have engulfed us;
a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
5 Yes, the raging waters of their fury
would have overwhelmed our very lives.
6 Praise the Lord,
who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap.
The trap is broken, and we are free!
8 Our help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 124 NLT

Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for being on our side when anyone is against us! We know our help is only from You. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt. In Jesus' Name we pray.