A THANKSGIVING DINNER
Did you know that a Thanksgiving meal is Scriptural. In Deuteronomy 12:7 God prescribed a time to eat with family rejoicing over God’s blessings — “And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.”
Notice five things about this “Thanksgiving Dinner.”
- There is the CALL to eat — “…ye shall eat…” Although God doesn’t need to eat, He created us to eat. No matter where you go, you will find people like to eat. God is pleased with this. According to statistics, Americans will consume approximately 700 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving Day! Whew!
- There is the COMPANY of the Lord— “…before the Lord…” God wants us to eat BEFORE Him! Be sure to invite Him to your Thanksgiving Dinner!
- There is the CELEBRATION of joy— “…rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto…” How thankful we should be for hands to labor and the God-given ability to work. Being able to work and to earn a living is what enables us to celebrate. It was that way with the pilgrims and it is that way with us. They had to work hard in the fields and flocks as well as in the trades. We should think about our work in the context of God.
- There is the COMPANIONS at the dinner— “…ye and your households…” Approximately 90% of Americans will eat Thanksgiving dinner with family! What a blessing this is when families come together to express their gratitude.
- Most important, there is the CENTRAL FOCUS of the dinner— “wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.” Although the turkey will sit in the center of the table, the most important thing to remember is that God provided it. The food is symbolic of God’s provision and blessing in our lives.
HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
