What are you thankful for? Looking at our lives and all the material possessions, all the physical blessings, and all the spiritual blessings we enjoy, it’s easy for us to be thankful to our God. The question is: What do we do with all that our Lord has entrusted to us? Do we simply say, “Thank you,” as we do when someone holds the door for us, or when someone does something nice for us? Are words enough? Dare our thanks be limited to only words? How can we express thanks to someone who has done so much for us?

The Children of Israel find themselves in a very similar predicament. Moses has some thoughts on the subject. He says to the Children of Israel, “Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him.” Moses goes on to say, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees.”

Being thankful is not a reaction that is to be limited to one day, but rather it’s a pattern of behavior to be expressed every day in all that we do and in all that we are. Thanksgiving is the way of life for a believer who understands and who appreciates all that God continues to do for us. In Psalm 116 the psalmist says, “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.” After reviewing all the many mercies that God showers upon sinners, St. Paul comes to the point in Romans 12 where he says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”.

Such thankfulness is an attitude that measures everything with the measuring cup of God’s blessing. And God’s cup of blessing is never empty. Sometimes God’s blessings can be seen most clearly in the time of tragedy. The hymn, “Now thank we all our God” was written by Martin Rinckart, who lived during the time of the Pilgrims. Rinckart, along with his family and his church, were caught in the midst of the 30 Years War in Europe. Food and water supplies were contaminated. Adequate medical supplies were lacking. Thousands of people were crammed behind the walls of his small city for protection. As a result of the plague that came, Rinckart sometimes presided over the burial of upwards of 50 people a day, totaling some 4000 in all. During that time, he wrote that hymn of thanksgiving. It could only come from the pen and the heart of a believer who saw all of God’s blessings even in the face of plague and tragedy.

Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous thing has done, In whom his world rejoices
Who from our mothers’ arms Has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love And still is ours today.
All praise and thanks to god the father now be given.
The Son and him who reigns With them in highest heaven

May our Lord bless your celebration of Thanksgiving as you consider his gifts! God bless!
 
Rev. John C. Wille
SWD president