Thanksgiving Day - guest writer

Written by Debbie McDaniel of ibelieve.com

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God, it is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good; his love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalm 100:1-5

All across our nation, Thanksgiving is a day that we set aside in order to do one thing.

Be thankful.

And usually what goes along with it, is lots of food, family and friends, laughter and fun, times of giving to others in need, maybe some football, or traditions that you’ve recognized through long years.

And sometimes too, there is also loneliness. And struggle. Or deep loss. Feelings of hurt and painful circumstances that you’re still trying to hurdle over.

Whatever you’re facing this Thanksgiving Day, in the midst of all of it, may we remember again that God gives us the opportunity each and every day, to give worship and thanks to Him. Every morning He gives us breath, which is His invitation to come joyfully into His Presence. He reminds us that He alone is God and we belong to Him. He assures us that His plans in our lives are for good, that His love covers us securely, and His faithfulness extends from generation to generation.

No matter what, He’s given us so many reasons to choose thankfulness and joy this day. Let’s do what the Psalmist of this great chapter says:

- Shout for joy.
- Worship the Lord with gladness.
- Come before Him with joyful songs.
- Know that He is God.
- Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.
- Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
- Recognize His goodness, love, and faithfulness, through all the generations of our family.

Give thanks.

Prayer:

Dear God,

              Thank You for Your goodness and for Your blessings over our lives. Forgive us when we don't thank You enough, for who You are, for all that You do, for all that You've given. We’re so grateful to You for Your amazing love and care, for Your mercy and grace, for always working on our behalf, even behind the scenes when we’re unaware. Thank You that You are always with us and will never leave us, even through loss and the most difficult of times. Thank You for Your incredible sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on You afresh. Renew our spirits, fill us with Your peace and joy, this Thanksgiving Day and every day. We give You thanks and praise, for You alone are worthy! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

* I Believe I'll Testify...

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Psalm 18:1-2 NLT

I was sitting here tonight, thinking of my beloved father-in-law who went to be with the Lord in February of 2012. I can't believe it's been that long. I miss him. As I reminisced, I was reminded of the miraculous protection of God on one of the many visits I made to San Antonio to see Lee.  

It was always good to see him. We would talk and talk, and then go out for lunch. In the latter years of his life, Lee always wanted to eat Chinese food. Although he was in a nursing home, he wanted to go OUT to eat… Others tried to convince him that we could just get take-out and bring it back to eat with him at the nursing home.

But you see, when it came to going to the restaurant of choice, Lee and I had been cohorts since the beginning of our relationship, and this particular time, he looked me right in the eye and said, “I want to go to Panda.”  I looked him right back in the eye and said, “I’ll pick you up at 11.” And so the next morning, by the grace of God, I got my little father-in-law into the car and we took in all the beautiful scenery - crepe myrtles and lovely oaks - on the way to the restaurant. Once there, I watched him eat Chinese food to his heart’s content. It was a precious time. He was tired when we got him back to his room, but he trusted me to get him back into his bed and settled, and he was one happy camper.

About an hour later, I was on the road heading back home… Now, you know those white signs on the side of the road with numbers on them? In Texas, they’re considered to be more of a suggestion, so we try it and if we don’t like it, we do it faster. And we were all doing it faster… I was about 150 miles outside of San Antonio, and had been traveling with the same 6 or 8 vehicles for the last 50 miles or so. One was a large pickup, hauling an RV trailer, and he and I seemed to do cat-and-mouse the whole time at the back of the pack, when all of a sudden, all the tire warning lights came on in my car! My left rear tire showed no pressure at all and my dashboard was lit up like a bookie’s scoreboard!  

I was right at an exit when it happened, so I was able to get off the road immediately (that’s SO God…). I got down to the intersection and pulled into the gas station, and then all the warning lights reset themselves. All the tires were fine – exactly at the pressure they were supposed to be. Go figure… the gauges all reset by themselves. Nothing wrong. I was tempted to be a little frustrated, but I thought, “No, whatever that was about, Father, thank You. I’m sure You have a reason for it.” 

I headed back onto the freeway…only to discover that in the time it took for me to get off the road, the RV that I had been cat-and-mousing had come off the hitch of the pickup and rolled completely over across the highway. Had I not pulled off at the exit because of the flashing warning signs, I would have either been smashed by the RV or I would have hit it…going at a high rate of speed. I had to pull over again, but this time, it was because I was crying tears of gratitude for God’s protection over my life. Had it not been for His grace and mercy, I would have been killed or severely maimed.

Can I get a witness to the loving protection of God, our Father? I had to testify…

Prayer:

Father,

            I love you, Lord; You are my strength. You, Lord, are my rock, my fortress, and my savior; in whom I find protection. You are my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. On behalf of my children and grandchildren, and the rest of my family, I thank You, Father, for sparing my life. You never cease to amaze me. Help us to walk worthy of the life You give us every day. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen 

Nevertheless, Thy Will Be Done +

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Psalm 37:23 NLT

I can personally confirm the news reports that MANY people are travelling during this Thanksgiving holiday. Even with the purchase of a guaranteed "early bird check-in," I was still the 42nd person in line to board. Logically, I was pretty sure there weren't going to be any front row, leg room or aisle seats available. Nevertheless, I prayed and asked God for a front row seat. I went one step further and also asked for someone kind enough to assist me in getting my bag into the overhead bin.

In verse 4 of the text chapter we're using today, the Word reads,Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. As I rounded the corner of the forward galley, I stood for a quick moment, checking the availability of aisle seats. Then I looked to my right, straight into the faces of one woman about my age and a young man about 30, both seated on the front row, who both smiled and asked, "Would you like to sit here?"

"Yes, thank you," I replied, as I stepped into the front row area, mentioning that I would wait until the human traffic flow died down before attempting to put up my carry on. A few moments passed, and the young man stood and asked if he could put up my case for me.(Thank you, Jesus!!!!)

MY plan was to read the book I'd brought with me. My seat guests on either side of me had other plans. Rob, the young man, was on the way to say good-bye to his mother. She was being kept on life-support until Rob could arrive.

On my other side, Ms. Sandy had an extremely rare form of cancer, and was returning home after her trip to Houston's MD Anderson Center for a target drug treatment. Halfway through the flight, Ms. Sandy remarked, "I don't know why I'm telling you all these things about me, I'm normally a very private person." She and I encouraged one another in the Lord, and God gave me the opportunity to pray with Rob during our descent. 

My plan was to read the book I brought. HIS plan was to read the hearts of the ones He brought. Thank You, Father, for trusting me and for ordering my steps aright.

Prayer:

Father, 
         Thank You for Sandy and for Rob. I pray continued comfort and blessings for them. Thank you for getting us all safely to our destinations. Please be with Rob and his extended family during this time. Heal Sandy, Lord, she believes in Your healing touch. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* The Majority Rules

So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran.

This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!"

But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” 

But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Numbers 13:3, 27-28, 30-33 NLT

If you've been a Christian for very long, you are more than likely very familiar with this story about the exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea and the trek toward the Promised Land. Twelve men went and upon their return, ten basically said, "No way. No how." And only two - Caleb and Joshua - stood before the assembly and did the B.C. version of Bob the Builder - "Yes, we can!" Well, actually the KJV reads, "We are well able..." But the report was 10 - 2. Ten against, two for. Majority rule...And the report of the 10 swayed the crowd and all assembled there wanted to turn back.

Of the projected 2.5 MILLION people Moses led out of Egypt, only two - Moses and Aaron - fell on their faces before the congregation. When a relative or important leader died, or if there was a great calamity, it was customary for the Hebrews to tear their garments. Rending their clothes is the term used to describe this Hebrew custom which indicated DEEP sorrow. And two - Caleb and Joshua - rent their clothes and pleaded with the people to not rebel. How did they respond to Joshua and Caleb? Of the projected 2.5 million people, approximately 2,499,995 wanted to stone the two of them to death...(and get rid of Moses and Aaron). Would you take those odds? 2,499,995 to four (five, if you count Miriam). Sounds like a majority, doesn't it? That is until God showed up. And then there was a new majority...

You can read the rest of the story beginning in Numbers 14.

The point I want to make is this, if God has told you to do it, it doesn't matter what you see - how big the obstacles are between you and the goal - how many people tell you you can't do it. If God is in it - and it's just you and God - He IS the majority... and the Majority rules.

Prayer:

Father,

         In You, we are WELL able. Deliver us from the Grasshopper complex. BLIND us to the can't and shan't and find us in Your will fulfilled. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Psalm 111 +

 Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people.
Psalm 111:1 NLT

² How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
    All who delight in him should ponder them.

³ Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
    His righteousness never fails.

⁴ He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
    How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

⁵ He gives food to those who fear him;
    he always remembers his covenant.

⁶ He has shown his great power to his people
    by giving them the lands of other nations.

⁷ All he does is just and good,
    and all his commandments are trustworthy.

⁸ They are forever true,
    to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

⁹ He has paid a full ransom for his people.
    He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
    What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

¹⁰ Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
    All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Prayer:

Father,
          I never cease to be amazed at the goodness of Your Word - Your faithfulness to show us exactly what we need and how it can only be found in You. Open our eyes and our hearts to You, Lord. In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen

* Have You Lost Your Mind?

Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 Common English Bible (CEB)

"I think I'm losing my mind," her voice was subdued in response to my question. She wasn't joking or making light of the inquiry. I knew she was serious. There was no sparkle in her eye; there was only torment. The weight of emotional pain was overwhelming her - body, soul, mind, and spirit.

Have you ever been in that place? Chances are, you may have been at one time or another. Maybe you're there now, wondering what in the world you are going to do. And if that's you, I want to speak directly to you.

I don't know your circumstances or your questions, but God does. I don't have all the answers, but I know the One Who does. I have been in that same place and I am here to tell you - unequivocally - that God will bring you out. Don't give up. Don't quit now. He WILL see you through to the other side of this. What I DO have is the living proof of His faithfulness to make good on the promises in His Word.

You see, I thought I was a goner. I thought dying would be the only way out of the mess I was in. I was so broken and dead inside that I couldn't see any way out. I couldn't keep two coherent thoughts in my head because of the things that overwhelmed me. I was losing my mind. Then I found the verses of our promise for today.

Back then, I didn't know if God had the time or the inclination to hear all my prayers and petitions, but I chose to believe the Truth of His Word over the facts of my circumstances. And now, this many years later, I am here to tell you that God keeps His Word, and if we will choose to keep His Word, too, then we will surely reap the many benefits of His peace that exceeds all understanding and will keep our hearts and MINDS SAFE in Christ Jesus. 

The Word of God tells us if He does it for one person, He'll do it for all, so let me leave you with this encouragement from Psalm 40...    

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.

Prayer:

Father,
          I pray according to Your Word that Many will see what [You] have done and be amazed, and that they will put their trust in You, Lord.In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Love In Any Language

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7 KJV

Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a best-selling book titled, The 5 Love Languages. The description from the website* about his book reads,  Of the countless ways we can show love to one another, five key categories, or five love languages, proved to be universal and comprehensive—everyone has a love language, and we all identify primarily with one of the five love languages:
Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

I'm not here to sell you the book, but to borrow from its premise that if we don't know the language, it's hard to make ourselves understood. If your love language is Receiving Gifts and all you're receiving is the language of Quality Time sans gifts, you're probably not very happy. Friends of mine (who are married to each other) experienced this in their marriage. He speaks Acts of Service - he would clean the house, cook dinner, washed laundry, etc, thinking all the while that he was being incredibly loving and romantic. However, she only hears Words of Affirmation. Her question while she sat in a spotless house was, "If he loves me, why doesn't he just say so?"

The Great News is that God speaks all languages. He created them AND you. And because God IS love, He can and will communicate with you in ANY love language and can receive your love back to Himself accordingly. No more excuses for not speaking with Him.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for always providing exactly what we need, when we need it and where we need it. Help us to be fluent in our conversations with You and with others about You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen


*www.5lovelanguages.com/learn-the-languages/the-five-love-languages/

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