The Thanksgiving holiday is the biggest in my family. I usually say a prayer, thanking God for all our many blessings and for the bountiful meal set before us by my wife, Linda. And this is good to do.
Presidents Washington and Lincoln began this holiday, setting it aside as a national day of prayer and thanksgiving. Their prayers are very touching.
But I wanted to go a little deeper in our giving of thanks on this day. I went back 3,000 years to the words spoken by King David, one of the most famous men who ever lived. You know his story, rising from a humble shepherd boy to the throne of Israel. He killed Goliath at 15 years of age. He ruled as king forty years and was a successful general winning many battles and wars. He was the “sweet psalmist of Israel.” His poetry found in the book of Psalms has comforted and inspired hundreds of millions of people. He knew God well. But most importantly, he was “a man after God’s own heart.”
This is how David gave thanks to God. He said, “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. The kingdom is yours; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (I Chronicles 29:10-13).
His thanks to God followed his acknowledgement of God’s astounding greatness and glory. Our confession to God of His wonderfulness is the context and development of a grateful heart and thankful lips. May we thank God everyday like David did. kwh
Immortality Road 