Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, I want us to begin remembering so that we can truly be thankful.  Remember what?  Let’s look at the Word of God for answers.  The children of Israel, God’s chosen are preparing to enter the Promised Land.  As they prepare, God has given them a few rules to live by as His people.  If we look back in the Word to Deut 5, we see that He has given them the 10 commandments.  How long has it been since you read those?  They are still good rules to live by and important to remember that Jesus didn’t come to do away with these commandments, but to fulfill.  Maybe we should spend a little more time looking at them…We also see a scripture which should have become very familiar over the last month or so…Deut 6:5-9.  All of these words are coming together for our scripture for this morning:  Deut 8:7-18.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, here are three ideas that I want you to consider to make Thanksgiving a little more special:

1)      REMEMBER where you came from…

All of us have a past.  Some pasts are a bit more “interesting” than others – but all have a past.  As we sit here today, if we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are here as redeemed, loved, and joyful people.  But we haven’t always been redeemed.  We became that as we came to know Jesus Christ!  Yes, the past is the past and we are forgiven…I am not disputing that.  But, it is helpful to remember that God took us out of the pits of sin and offered us a brand new life! (and I’m not going back!) 

2)      REMEMBER what God has done before…

We should be able to look back on this past year and see where the hand of God was upon us.  We can look back over the past five years…maybe ten…maybe more and see where God has been with us even when we didn’t realize it.  Even beyond that, our faith is built on remembering…the Jews still celebrate feasts to remember (like Passover).  We celebrate Christmas and Easter to remember. Why continue to remember something so long ago?  Because it is just that important and because we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever!!

3)      MOST IMPORTANTLY, REMEMBER the LORD your God by keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes

Don’t go on living your life ignoring God and what He has commanded.  He has words of life for us.  He has words of truth.  Jesus pointed out what is most important… That means that we should know this Word and follow it…REMEMBER God!  We do that by following Him and serving Him!  How will you celebrate your thanksgiving this year?