Tag: Thanksgiving

Devotionals

Thanksgiving and Prayer Go Together

Loring Schultz

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV

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Today America celebrates Thanksgiving day. Scheduled on the fourth Thursday each November, America pauses to give thanks for the many blessings afforded to her. Of course, by America I’m referring to the American people within the borders of the United States. There are many Americans who live abroad for various reasons, such as our armed force, and they most certainly are included in celebrating Thanksgiving.

Many traditions in America have developed over the years for Thanksgiving. We have Mr. Tom Turkey at the head of the table along with all his ‘fixing’ friends. Several major cities have Thanksgiving day parades which are televised and brought into our homes as the turkey is cooking. Families gather throughout the day for the Thanksgiving meal and to top off the pumpkin pie we have whipped cream and football.

Another tradition, and the most important one, is the Thanksgiving prayer before partaking of the meal. Admitting, not all hold to this tradition, but it seems a large majority do. Gathering together to express thanks for the blessings throughout the year we should direct those thanks to one responsible, the Lord God. It seems only natural that Thanksgiving and prayer go together, the giving of thanks through prayer on this special day.

The apostle Paul gives us another angle to thanksgiving and prayer going together. Paul tells us to pray bringing our requests to God ‘with thanksgiving.’ Our prayers to God should always show our gratitude in being able to freely ask God anything. We also thank Him ahead of time for His answer to our prayers according to His will and what is best for us. Thanksgiving and prayer go together every day and not just on Thanksgiving. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Devotionals

Giving Thanks for a Soul Set Free

Loring Schultz

“Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name.” Psalm 142:7a NASB

“I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17 NASB

Photo by Kirk Cameron on Unsplash

This Thanksgiving Day there are over 1 million people in prison in the United States. Souls who will not celebrate the holiday with friends and loved ones. Their cry may be as David’s was, ‘bring my soul out of prison.’ Their desire is to be restored back in society as it was before their incarceration. The fact is their soul can be set free right they are. A prison sentence will pay the debt to society when completed and freedom will be granted. However, there is a prison sentence where no one can ever serve and pay off. It is the sentence of an eternal death separated from God and heaven for our sinful nature and our sins against God. But that soul can indeed be set free.

Perhaps you are not behind prison bars on this day, but you are behind bars that are keeping you imprisoned in your own soul. Your struggles with a particular sin, or vices you can’t seem to control keep you under lock and key. Your desire is the same cry, ‘bring my soul out of prison.’ I’m not a psychologist and not offering advice of which my knowledge is very limited. Professional services are a god-sent in our day and age and should be used if needed. But one thing I do know is that a soul can be set from sin and eternal death through Jesus Christ, God’s Son who sacrificed His life that we may have life. He paid the penalty for a soul to be set free.

If you are sitting in prison behind bars on this day, please understand that your soul can be set free. You can have assurance of eternal salvation and that your sin debt has been paid. For those of you outside prison walls who also need to be set free from your struggles with sin, Christ has paid the sin penalty for you as well. Your prayer, ‘bring my soul out of prison, will be heard and answered by accepting Christ as your savior this day. Then you can praise and thank God with David this Thanksgiving by saying, “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Ps.7:17 nasb) Happy Thanksgiving!

Devotionals

Thanksgiving Travel: Following the Highway of God

Loring Schultz

“A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.” Isaiah 35:8a NKJV

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3 NKJV

Photo by Peter Robbins on Unsplash
 

Today is the busiest travel day of the year across the United States as millions of Americans make their way to friends and family for Thanksgiving. “AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. ‘Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,’ said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. (1) Of those estimated 79.9 million travelers, 71.1 million people will go by car. That’s a lot of highway miles.

The United States has a vast interstate highway system which can get you to grandma’s house whether 50 or 500 miles away with no trouble. Years of planning the infrastructure of major roadways in America have proven successful. One only needs a roadmap from AAA or a GPS device and you’re all set.

Highways are mentioned several times in Scripture. Isaiah speaks about ‘The Highway of Holiness, a highway for our God.’ It was a prophetic exhortation to Israel for preparing for the coming of the Messiah. It foretold John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ. “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’” (Mt.3:3 nkjv) The Messiah, the Lord Jesus, had come, and He has come to save those who call on His name.

God had designed His infrastructure of heaven’s highway for you and me before the world began. You don’t need a GPS or a road map. The plan of salvation and the highway to heaven is to simply trust in Jesus and His work on the cross for your sin. There is only one road, one highway to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn.14:6 nkjv) Accept Christ as your savior this Thanksgiving and you’re on the highway to heaven. What a Thanksgiving feast that will be.

(1) Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Set New Record | AAA Newsroom

Devotionals

Thankfulness through Giving            

Loring Schultz

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

In gift giving, the recipient is the one giving thanks. They are thankful for the gift received and for the giver. We don’t think much about the giver being the one giving thanks, but as Christians that should be our main intent in giving any gift or doing any good deed for someone. God the Father gave the first gift, His Son Jesus Christ. No other gift will ever match or come close to the gift He gave us. We can never top it. But we can be thankful.

God gave us His only Son to redeem us from eternal separation from Him. Jesus came willingly to earth as a man to pave the way for our salvation from eternal hell fire. Thankfulness, indeed, should be our way of life. One sign of being thankful is giving. The apostle Paul describes the ministry of giving to the church in Corinth as a two-fold operation. The needs of people will be met, and God will be thanked for it. “So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.” (2Cor.9:12 nlt) Paul goes on to say, “For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.” (2Cor.9:13b nlt)

The good news of Christ is the gospel unto salvation which we have accepted and are thankful. We show our thankfulness by giving of ourselves, sharing the gospel, and meeting the needs of others. Yes, through giving. Our thankfulness through giving is not only for others, but also to the one most deserving, Jesus Christ. “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Col.3:17 nlt) May we always be giving thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus in everything we say and do, in this way we show our thankfulness through giving.  

Devotionals

Giving Thanks: not only reserved for Thanksgiving Day                  

Loring Schultz

“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” Daniel 6:10 NLT

Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash

There are many verses in Scripture that refer to giving thanks. Jesus Himself set an example in giving thanks to His Father while on earth. The angels expressed thanks to God and to His Son. Thanks are to be given in private and public worship to God and for all things, and especially as a part of our daily prayers.

One of the greatest examples recorded in the Bible of giving thanks in private worship and daily prayer is found in Daniel chapter 6. The very familiar story of Daniel in the lions’ den comprises this 6th chapter of Daniel. Daniel was faced with certain death if he continued praying to God, praising Him and giving thanks. King Darius inadvertently signed an edit that sealed Daniel’s fate. Any person found praying to any divine object or human, except the king would be thrown into the lions’ den. It was Daniel’s daily routine to pray with his windows opened towards Jerusalem three times a day giving thanks to God.

Paul wrote, “pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.” (1Thess.5:17-18a) Daniel is indeed an example of Paul’s words. He prayed continually and although it must have been hard to give thanks for his situation, the Bible said he gave thanks to God. Yes, it is sometimes hard for us to see pass our circumstances thanking God for them. But God does not allow anything to come into our lives He hadn’t ordained to happen. We need to thank Him, for He knows all things and what is best for us.

So let us not be saving up our thanks for Thanksgiving Day, but may we be like Daniel, praying and giving thanks to God daily and in everything.

Devotionals

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Loring Schultz

“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the Most High…. But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” Psalm 50:14, 23a NLT

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

We have recently come out of the Lenten season with the conclusion of Easter Sunday a few weeks ago. A significant part of Lent is to withhold or give up something as a sacrifice to the Lord. This is done to yearn for God more than the sacrifice you gave up. It is a time to drive away any distractions that would keep you from getting closer to God leading into Passion Week. It is a shame we only allot one time a year for this sacrifice as a church, but it can and should be a part of our daily spiritual walk with the Lord.

The idea is not what we give up for the Lord, but that we are in a constant growing relationship with Him. In Psalm 50, a psalm of Asaph, the Lord says, “O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns
or the goats from your pens.” (Ps.50:7-9 nlt) The Lord then explains He doesn’t need any of their animal sacrifices. All the animals of the forest are His, and He certainly doesn’t need them for food. God wants their sacrifices to be a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Not to diminish any sacrifice we make to the Lord, but the best sacrifice we can make, and make it daily, is a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Giving thanks to God praising Him for all He is, and all He has done for us. The Lord Himself says, “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the Most High…. But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” (Ps, 50:14, 23a nlt) May we truly honor the Lord today with a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Read: Psalm 50:7-15 NLT – “O my people, listen as I speak. Here – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

Truly Thankful

Loring Schultz

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Luke 17:15-17 NIV

Photo by Anna Tukhfatullina Food Photographer/Stylist on Pexels.com

            Every year as we approach Thanksgiving Day, many people make out their list for what they are thankful for. Who cannot help but smile with some of the answers children make when asked what is on their list, sometimes for grownups as well. We all have trivial items we are grateful for and there is nothing wrong in giving thanks for even the simplest things in life. 

            But on the other hand we need to careful not to simplify or casually treat all our thanks to the Lord in this manner. The blessings we receive on a daily are often taken for granted. Major life events appear to be treated as happenstance without giving thought to divine intervention from our Lord. Answers to prayer are given lip service; “Thank the Lord” “The Lord is good” etc. But do we go beyond speaking the words, do the words come from our hearts, and do we truly express a heart of gratitude? Are we Truly Thankful?

            Jesus, travelling to Jerusalem, entered a village and was met by ten men who had leprosy. They shouted from a distance due to their disease, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Jesus responded by telling them to go show themselves to the priests. (Luke 17:13-14) As they were healed on the way, one of them came back to personally thank Jesus by glorifying God and falling down at His feet. Jesus questioned where the others were, after all they were all healed. They may have all been thankful in some degree, but one was Truly Thankful.

            Let us examine our hearts this Thanksgiving and be Truly Thankful.

Devotionals

Something to be thankful for

Loring Schultz

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV

During the Thanksgiving season local and national news outlets will asked people what they are thankful for. You will hear a variety of responses of family, good health, employment and meaningful accomplishments throughout the year. There will also be those who respond with a destitute spirit, not having much to be thankful for and not seeing any bright hope for the future.

But there is one thing every person can be thankful for; God sending His Son Jesus into the world to take away our sins by dying on the cross. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) This is not universalism as taught by some teachers today (don’t worry about it, it’s all good, everyone gets into heaven.) You must personally come to God, acknowledge and confess your sin, ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus’s sacrifice as the full payment for your sin.

If you simply put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ for Salvation you will be saved and not perish having everlasting life. Now that’s something to be thankful for.

Devotionals

In Everything Give Thanks

Loring Schultz

“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB

            As Thanksgiving Day is rapidly approaching, have you thought about what are you thankful for? Perhaps you need a moment or two to collect your thoughts? Perhaps you have already prepared a long list for all the things you are thankful for. It could be you have a short list with one or two very special items of thanksgiving. What constitutes an item making your thanksgiving list? I’m sure all the blessings and good fortune that you have accumulated throughout the year would make the list such as recovery from serious illness, along with those special blessings and incidents that have protected you from harm. But have you ever thought of making it simple by being thankful for everything? In everything give thanks and that means everything!

            The Old Testament prophet Daniel demonstrates what it looks like to give thanks for everything. Daniel lived most of his life in captivity after being captured as a teenager by the Babylonians. He was schooled and trained in the culture of his new surroundings in order to serve in the government by order of the king. During his lifetime, Daniel never wavered from his commitment to his God, the Lord God of Israel. The Lord blessed Daniel over the years due to his faithfulness and preserving his identity as a Jew as he worked in an ungodly government. In his old age Daniel was serving Darius the Mede as one of three commissioners over the kingdom. His two colleagues wanted to get rid of him as he was about to be promoted. They devised a plan that would see his end not only in the administration, but his life. A law was put into effect that anyone who prayed to any god, divine or human, besides King Darius would be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniels co-workers knew he would be found guilty. They knew they would find him praying, and they did.

            There is so much more to this story, but the point here is Daniels’s attitude in prayer and being thankful for all things in all circumstances. It is written in the book of Daniel, “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” Daniel 6:10 NASB Daniel faced certain death by being obedient to God and yet gave thanks to Him. Are we able to do the same, In Everything Give Thanks?

Read the story of Daniel in the lion’s den: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+6&version=NASB1995