Happy Thanksgiving!! That is EXACTLY what we need to do today: GIVE THANKS unto the LORD for all He has done! He has let us LIVE to see another Thanksgiving, and for that alone, we should be grateful. SURE: this has been a VERY HARD year for EVERYONE, and there are MANY things WE could complain about. BUT the Lord convicted me when I read Ephesians 5:20"..nor FOOLISH talking, nor jesting, which are NOT CONVENIENT: but rather GIVING OF THANKS." It's easy for our flesh to complain, BUT as children of the Lord, it should be even EASIER, OR MORE convenient, to THANK the Lord for ALL that He has done for us!! The Lord gave us a list of some of them in Ephesians.
1st: He PROVIDED a Way of Salvation: Eph.1:4&5 "..He hath chosen US in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world.....Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Himself...". The Lord gave us a predetermined WAY to become His children and redeem us THROUGH Jesus Christ! "...I am THE WAY the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh to the Father, but by ME." John 14:6. He knew Adam would fall and STILL loved us ANYWAY to make a way to restore us BEFORE He ever created us!
2nd: He PAID THE PRICE and took our PUNISHMENT and PAIN: Isaiah 53 gives us a detailed account of the awful price of the price, punishment, and pain that our Lord took and suffered FOR us. He knew the price of our ransom was HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD (I Peter 19). He WILLINGLY laid down His life for us, shed His Blood, and endured the agony of the cross. "SURELY He hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows:yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. BUT He was wounded for OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, he was bruised for OUR INIQUITIES: the chastisement of OUR PEACE was upon Him; and with HIS STRIPES, WE ARE HEALED." (Ish. 53:5&6).
3rd: He gave us PEACE: "For HE is our PEACE...." (Eph. 2:14). Jesus Christ Himself IS our peace. We have peace, being the children of God, because Jesus reconciled us and restored us, giving us ACCESS by one Spirit unto the Father (Eph. 16-18). There is NO MORE SEPARATION from a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father. We can come to Him with HOLY BOLDNESS (Heb. 4:16), at ANY TIME we need to or want to!!
4th: He gave us His PROMISE of the Holy Spirit: "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also that ye believed, ye were sealed with that HOLY SPIRIT of PROMISE,"( Eph 1:13). The Holy Spirit was given to us to be our Comforter while here on this earth. Our Heavenly Father uses Him to guide us and comfort us while we are PILGRIMS in this strange land. The Holy Spirit also instructs us in prayer and guides us into ALL truth (John 16:13). He WANTS us to know His Will and how we are to serve Him (John 15:15 & 16). He has promised also to NEVER leave us nor forsake us ( Heb. 13:5). And Lastly,
5th: He gave us PROVISION until PROMOTION Along with the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Lord promised to PROVIDE for us while we wait to be PROMOTED to Heaven with Him!! "Blessed be the Lord, who DAILY LOADETH us with benefits..." Ps. 68:19. He DAILY gives us what we need to make it! Whether it be spiritual or physical; the LORD doesn't want us to be without! He has promised His goodness and mercy ALL THE DAYS of our lives! (Ps. 23:6).
This Thanksgiving Day, let US be PROMPTED as PILGRIMS to "Enter into His gates with THANKSGIVING, and into His courts with PRAISE: be THANKFUL unto HIM, and bless His name."( Ps.100:4). Let us GIVE THANKS to the LORD for ALL HE HAS DONE!!
