struggle.

I'm currently somewhere in Virginia, Blacksburg I think?.. Blogging on my phone. Neat, huh? I thought so. Virginia Tech is a beautiful campus, ps. Lately I've been learning a lot about a holiday. Well, at least that's what I feel like it's been reduced to. Thanksgiving. Hooray! Food and football! Too bad it's no longer the horns smashing the dumb ags on the gridiron. I'll miss that. So will they when they're getting destroyed every week in the sec. Anyway... Thanksgiving.

Apparently it's a hotly debated topic where and when the first Thanksgiving actually came about.. But who even cares? The original Thanksgiving appears to have been an offshoot of the harvest festivals in England. During these ceremonies, people would set aside days specifically for the purpose of thanking God for their plentiful harvest.

Thanksgiving is traditionally associated with the arrival of the Pilgrims. During the early 17th century, all religion in England was strictly dictated by the government, and everyone was required to conform to severe religious restrictions. Individual beliefs and independent ways to worship were forbidden, punishable by jailing, torture and even execution. Crazy, huh? More blessed than I know (which is part of this whole thanksgiving post thing). Wanting to escape the religious suppression, the Pilgrims left England on the Mayflower.

They arrived at Plymouth Rock in southeastern Massachusetts in December 1620, but the natives were apparently hostile, so they moseyed on down the coast to Cape Cod, where they received a much more cordial welcome. These Indians helped them survive by showing the colonists how to plant corn, how to catch this certain type of herring to use as a fertilizer when growing pumpkins, beans, and such. About a year later, they celebrated the harvest and their new freedom with a huge feast - and just like that, Thanksgiving was born! Can you sing happy birthday to a holiday? The colonists invited the Wampanoag people to express their gratitude.

It is believed that the first "Day of Thanksgiving" actually occurred before the arrival of the Pilgrims. This festival was completely religious in nature, and did not involve any feasting. This group of peeps dedicated this day of their arrival as a Day of Thanksgiving to God. Soooo, while the US celebrates Thanksgiving based on the Pilgrim festival, towns or countries called days of thanksgiving several years before that event. Those days were usually called to celebrate a specific event, rather than an ongoing celebration. In 1863 Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday by President Lincoln.
It was officially changed to the fourth Thursday in November when FDR was president.

I talked about aaaaaaaaalll of that ..and this blog really would have survived without it. But I like historical junk. So sue me. But that's why I say our culture views thanksgiving as a day.. Yet God calls us to a disposition, a state of living, a heart condition.

Proof?
"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." psalm 50:23

We can't glorify God, we can't make much of Him in our lives, if we aren't thankful for who He is
or what He's done
or given
or said
or promised.

But what IS thanksgiving? How do we give thanks? What does that even look like?

It definitely isn't just telling God you're thankful, but truly living in a constant disposition of joyful response to Him. Thanksgiving is more than lip service; it's a heartfelt response to grace. If you're thankful for the house He has given you, you'll look for ways to please Him with it. Yes, you will pray and thank Him, but you'll give it back to Him, too.

What about your heart?

Are you thankful for the new creation you've become, for the circumcision you've received, for the renewal you've experienced? Are you thankful for freedom, for God's captivating of your heart? Are you thankful for grace? Are you thankful for the accomplishment of the cross's work in your life and the lives of those around you? Are you genuinely thankful?

Where's your proof? This isn't God saying you need proof; this is me addressing sin in my life.. And extending the same address to you. Maybe you don't need it, but I do. I don't say, "thank You," enough to God in word or deed.

Philippians 4:6 says, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God." Thank God for changing you and allowing you to be His child, granting you life and sonship. Ask Him for things, talk to Him, BE THANKFUL. It isn't a request from God, "hey, if you feel like it, talk to me. Oh, and be thankful if you'd like." NO, God demands it. He's worthy of it!

..okay. I needed this, that's for sure.

The greatest commandment is loving God with all we are: heart, mind, and soul. We won't, we can't, be obedient and joyful in our obedience if we aren't thankful. The overflow spills onto others. Here's an application. Ready?

Remember the gospel. Think of this: the ultimate, supreme, almighty God of all that is, in His infinite grace, sought you out in the depths of your sin and trespasses, while you were dead, hopeless, condemned.. And He saved you.

God.. Saved.. You.

You didn't deserve it, you didn't earn it.. He opened your eyes, showed you His heart, showed you your sin, your need of Him, and faith was birthed in your soul with an overwhelming desire to cling to Him. Now.. You've been made new. Welcome to the family!

How did He do all this? He came to earth, Jesus, God in the flesh, was born under and lived by the law
to save us from the sin the law was given to reveal to us
to forgive us of that sin
to appease God's wrath toward us and those sins we had committed and would commit.

God did that in Christ on the cross.. And we say we are too busy to pray? Or we are too ashamed of the gospel to share it?
Or we're afraid people will be offended?
Jesus promised people would be offended! He said they will hate us.. So be hated. It's God's job to save, not yours. Rejoice in that. Rejoice in Him!

But first we must be thankful.

So remember the gospel, and respond accordingly in humble, thankful adoration and praise.
Run to Him.
Find joy in Him.
He delights in you, so delight in Him.

Be thankful.

I love you guys!