Thanks but No Thanks (#58 of 365+)

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1)

Since Thanksgiving Day is coming up this week, the subject of
giving thanks to God has become a common theme on most Christian radio programs. Just the other day I heard a bible teacher say that today’s culture has lost much of its thankfulness to God because of our self-sufficiency. We tend to think everything we have is a result of our own hard work instead of God’s provision for us. In addition to that loss, I think our self-sufficient attitude is the primary reason why miracles don’t seem as prevalent anymore. We’re not relying on God or giving him as much credit as we used to.

I remember being taught in public school about the first Thanksgiving. I can understand why a first grade teacher wouldn’t want to bog down her class with too many historical details, but now that I’m an adult I see that we were taught pure fiction! The pilgrims were portrayed as stuffy people (I mean, look at their clothes) who invited their colorful neighbors to a special dinner as a gesture of friendship and goodwill. The natives accepted the invitation and presented their hosts with a gift of beautiful Indian corn. The table was decorated with autumn leaves and a cornucopia filled with vegetables. The food seemed to magically cook itself. I don’t remember anyone saying grace. Probably because it would have offended the guests.

The truth is, in contrast to how we prefer to live today, the first settlers had an adventurous faith in God. They were obedient and willing to follow his call wherever it would lead, even when everyone else warned them of the dangers. They were prayerful and hopeful, even as the winter wind howled outside and they didn’t now where their next meal would come from. They were completely dependent upon him. So when the natives showed up with gifts of food or (much later) taught them how to plant corn, the pilgrims recognized it as God’s provision and their natural response was to give him thanks.

In today’s devotional, Joni explained that her disability has caused her to be completely reliant on everyone around her. As a result, it has become an automatic response for her to say “Thank you” several dozen times every day. She says, “If only we were better ‘programmed’ to be grateful to God”.

Nathaniel Morton’s New England’s Memorial, the first history of New England, was published in 1669. He faithfully chronicled over forty years of events starting from the Plymouth settlement. He began with quoting the following bible verse: “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). In the preface, Nathaniel Morton expressed why he decided to print their stories. He said he had “a restlessness of spirit, and earnest desire” to tell “future generations the memorable passages of God’s providence” during those early years. All those experiences taught him to rely on God’s provision and gave him a spirit of thankfulness. As a result, he was bursting at the seams to tell others about God’s enduring faithfulness and goodness!

Lord, help me to see better with my spiritual eyes so I can be genuinely thankful in and for everything. Amen.