I saw a reminder on a local church marquis this week that said, "Thanksgiving Begins with the Giver." As I began to consider the truth behind those words, my thoughts were drawn to the Giver of all good gifts, God himself. For every good and perfect gift comes to us from Him.
Most of us across America will be celebrating our Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. We will eat a big meal and be thankful that we have a table full of food and family or friends to share it with. We will be thankful for what we have enjoyed through the year and the freedom to live in America where we can have it all. We will be thankful for health and many, many other things.
Some will go around the Thanksgiving table as they gather together, offering a word of thanksgiving for something or someone throughout the past year. We know that some things that have come our way are beyond our own doing. We will "be thankful" and "have gratitude."
We basically know what to be thankful for, but will we be considering who we are to be thankful to? Who are we grateful to for providing so many blessings that we enjoy day after day, season after season? Who do we thank for a job where we can earn the money to buy this Thanksgiving meal? Who will we thank for the strength to go out to do the job? Who will we thank for the kitchen to prepare the meal? Who do we thank for such abundant lovingkindness and care? Gratitude and thankfulness require a provider. From whence cometh all these blessings? Surely not from within.
Thanksgiving begins with the giver, not with the gifts. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, dear one, thanking the giver of all your blessings.
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights.
James 1:7
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4
