Thanksgiving Thoughts

 

Recently, I have had several Thanksgiving-related thoughts centered around several different passages of Scripture. The first one is found smack-dab in the middle of an earth-shattering, cosmic indictment of all humanity.

Romans 1 and Thanklessness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth . . . For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. - Romans 1:18, 21-23

In Romans 1:18-23, Paul is at pains to demonstrate the depths of human sin and unrighteousness. In verse 18, he claims that God's wrath is being unleashed on the world, and he dedicates the rest of the section to vindicating this wrath, showing why it is warranted. 

Humans are worthy recipients of God's wrath because they suppress his truth, turning it away and opting for a lie instead. This foolish refusal to embrace and delight in the truth culminates in the ultimate rejection of truth: "Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to Him." This is why God's wrath is coming upon the world. Humans have turned God away in all of his glory and have chosen to worship images that look humans, birds, animals, and creeping things (in the Greek, "reptiles"). 

Outrageous. Unbelievable. Cosmic effrontery, insolence, pride, and foolishness. That is what human sin is. 

The centerpiece of this moral outrage is the fact that humans did not "honor him . . . or give thanks to him." Thanklessness is moral blindness. Thanklessness is ultimate pride--rather than give thanks and praise to God who gives all things, humans shun Him and congratulate self. "Look at my accomplishments. Look at what my hands have wrought. Look at me." This is what we say in our sinful flesh. This is what we need to be rescued from.

Our Rescue

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. 6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” - Isaiah 12

I am struck by the beauty of this passage. "Though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me." This is the story of our salvation. Because of our thanklessness and sin, we were rightly "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3). We were separated from Him and without hope. All we had to look forward to was judgment and death. 

But now, in Jesus Christ, all our sins have been wiped away. In the place of wrath, comfort. In the place of anger, peace. Through Jesus' death on the cross, we are reconciled to God and now enjoy the sunshine of His smiles. Through Jesus' resurrection, we are freed from the clutches of death and guaranteed an eternity with our glorious Savior. We will live forever, because He lives forever (John 14:19). And all of this glory, peace, joy and beauty is for those whose sins were as dark as night. 

The result? "I will give thanks to you, O LORD!" (v. 1). "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples!" (v. 4). With joy we draw water from the wells of salvation, and we cry out with thanksgiving and praise to our gracious God. We yearn to make known his deeds among the nations--our thanksgiving leads to our mission. What a glorious reason to give thanks! 

"And We Thank Thee for our Food"

". . . foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer." - I Timothy 4:3-5

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, dinner rolls, green bean casserole, salad, and pumpkin pie and ice cream to top it all off, thank you very much. 

I love the Thanksgiving feast. It is a time to gather around delicious food and enjoy it together with friends and family. Scrumptious food is a wonderful gift that God has given us for our delight, and I look forward to it every year. May we receive it with thanksgiving!

A Greater Feast Awaits

"My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night, 7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy." - Psalm 63:5-7

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." - Matthew 4:4

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." - John 6:35

For all my enjoyment of food, I realize that tomorrow's feast will not bring the deepest fulfillment. There's a food that is much more satisfying than turkey and stuffing. 

There's a sumptuous feast of delight to be had in God! Jesus is the bread of life, and as we eat of him, we no longer hunger (John 6:35). As we consume God's word, we find new life (Matt. 4:4). As we remember our God, who He is and what He has done, our soul is satisfied as with the fattest and richest foods, and we are led to a song of praise!

I want to learn to feast at this table. I want to know Him more. I want to "taste and see that the LORD is good!" (Ps. 34:8) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Confessions of a Recovering Legalist

Image
Last week one morning, I woke up around 4 a.m. and could not go back to sleep. The more I lay awake, the more frustrated and discouraged I became. I couldn't fall back asleep, and I knew that I would likely feel grumpy for the rest of the day.  At long last, I got out of bed, my head a steaming pile of garbage, a whirring train of anxiety and stress. I went to the word, thinking that I would find joy and solace there. Instead, I slogged through a chapter and felt like I couldn't do much more.  That morning, I realized again that I was depending on getting my emotions just right before God to be "okay" with him. That I was hoping for a beautiful, soaring devotional time to feel "right" with him. Out of that realization, I started to journal, and I added to this journaling session through the rest of the week. Here are some of the realizations I came to (or, if I'm honest, came to again for the umpteenth time): "It's almost too good to believe tha...
Read more

The Terror and the King

Image
My soul makes its boast in the Lord. It seems to me that there is a scourge afflicting many Anabaptists. A black cloud hanging dark and heavy. A spirit of fear, of performance, of OCD. I remember being a young boy in the elementary classroom and needing to balance and control the feeling of fingers on chairs. I'd tap the chair with one finger and quickly, to balance, tap the same finger of the other hand. Balanced sensation. Safety. Control. A safety and control won by the labor of my hands. Hands on metal, hands on metal, and I'll make it all feel safe. I remember in college feeling a dark weight of guilt, like an oppressive burden that made the days feel as gray and gloomy as the Frostburg skies. Like a constant gavel sounding in my heart. If I were truly spiritual, truly approved, my soul would shun food and fast and pray. I would stay away from McDonald's after Cru nights to fast and pray. I would stay down on those cold November evenings, strongly and piously resisting...
Read more

A Weekend in Minneapolis

Image
I spent the past weekend in Minneapolis, visiting the always-delightful Peter and Erin Wadel, along with their two sons, as well as some of the Afghan students I taught two years ago.  Several days before I flew out, I developed some stomach sickness that lingered into the first several days of the trip. Thanks be to God, it didn't end up hindering my time with students and friends too much. Because of the stomach problems, I did tell A., one of my Afghan students, not  to prepare food for me when I came to visit. Nevertheless, when I showed up at his door along with Peter and his son, it quickly became clear that not only would we have the requisite snacks, but we would also have a whole meal. Heaping plates of rice and beef were plunked down before us, along with sweet pudding and the regular snack tray of almonds, candies, and other assorted nuts and fruits. And, of course, tea. Green tea, this time. I chose to risk it and ate a good bit of my rice and beef, and drank some ...
Read more