Thanksgiving by the book: Reflection on scripture

Nov 23, 2021 at 09:39 am by sonyamcclloughlockridge


What are we thankful for?

Are we thankful for the gifts, which bring us much pleasure or are we full us thanksgiving for the one who gives life, redeems life and is life? Each Thanksgiving, I sit and wonder about our thankfulness for that which is temporary and lacks any eternal value.

Thanksgiving is a position of worship and not just another holiday.

Several years ago my Franklin family experienced the celebration of life with the death of my Uncle Elder Charles McCullough. His funeral was absent of his ability to walk behind a rolling casket with the chant of Thanksgiving of life. I’d heard it time after time, death after death, but now I too live to hear it no more.

I am thankful for what I heard. With mine own ears, I heard him chant. With mine own eyes, I saw him march behind the casket of death.

I am thankful.

I am Thankful to the creator of the universe Father God for the opportunity to freely share my sometimes most inner thoughts with the all of you.

I am Thankful to my savior and redeemer Jesus Christ for all HE has done and is doing for me in this my one life. It is personal, because He be a person!

And finally I am Thankful to the person of the Holy Spirit for gracing me and mine with HIS presence. If I had more than this one voice to express my many Thanks I would use the very all of them for this very same Thanksgiving.  

I used to JOY to hear my Uncle Elder Charles McCullough preach his most precious sermon titled That Same Jesus, that walked a hill called Calvary is That Same Jesus that will come back for the you and the me. He is not bound by time nor space. He defeated death. He paid the price. It is finished.

No thing can we do nor no thing can we say, could make this matter more complete.

We ought to live a life full of Thanksgiving.

The Key Word Thanksgiving occurs in the King James Version of the biblical text at least twenty-nine times. The Old Testament has twenty entries while The New Testament follows with nine entries. But, this is not to say how many times the Key Word thanks is present in the text. But, while we are on the subject, you might as well know, the Key Word thanks is present in the very same text, some, one hundred time!

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

Lord, I agree with you in my current state of being. I agree with you and am completely thankful for all you have allowed in my past. And, as for my future state here on your earth, I trust you completely for you and you alone know my heart. I love you. Please forgive me once again in all the places and faces where I fail thee ... you Lord are an awesome rock and redeemer.  Thank you for sending your one and only son Jesus, to die on an old tree for the likes of me and we. And finally thank you for the comforter. In Jesus Name I pray. 

AMEN.