Thanksgiving

I was reading a devotional entitled, The Treasure of Thrown-Away Food by Lysa TerKeurst.  I pulled a small section from it because it spoke to me about how, at Thanksgiving, we gather with family and friends and have huge spreads of food that is usually 10 times too much for the number of people that gather.  Maybe, during this season of "Thanks-Giving", we should consider the true meaning.  Here are the words she wrote:


Noticing something for which to be thankful no matter the circumstance.

Pausing to acknowledge this something as a reminder of God's presence.

Choosing to focus on God's presence until His powerful peace is unleashed.

Will we be a noticer? A pauser? A chooser? A person of thanksgiving no matter what circumstance we're facing?

I find this truth about the power of thanksgiving over and over in Scripture. What was the prayer Daniel prayed right before being thrown in the lion's den and witnessing God miraculously shutting the lion's mouths? Thanksgiving.

After three days in the belly of a fish, what was the cry of Jonah's heart right before he was finally delivered onto dry land? Thanksgiving.

How are we instructed to pray in Philippians 4:6 when we feel anxious? With thanksgiving.

And what is the outcome of each of these situations where thanksgiving is proclaimed? Peace.

Powerful, unexplainable, uncontainable peace.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7 NIV).