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Thanksgiving |
Rev. Langerak is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Whenever we
gather to give thanks, we should remember what Scripture teaches about the
activity, especially this time of year when even the ungodly claim to engage in
it. Thanksgiving is essentially an act of worship performed only by faith.
Although we thank each other and consider it courteous, with few exceptions
thanksgiving in Scripture is directed entirely to God. Giving thanks is a
sacrifice of praise, a freewill offering of the heart to express our gratitude
to God (Heb. 13:15; Lev. 22:29). Entering His gates with thanksgiving
is simply part of our reasonable service and payment of our vows (Ps. 50:14, 100:4). And it should describe our entire
life—we must be thankful in whatsoever we do in word or deed (Col. 3:15-17).
Rightly, we associate thanksgiving mainly with prayer. Thanksgiving begins with
prayer (Neh. 11:17). Godly officebearers
like Moses, David, and Daniel regularly gave thanks in prayer. Jesus customarily
gave thanks in prayer before He broke bread to eat (John 6:23), and Paul ceased not to pray thanks (Eph. 1:16). We also are told to continue in prayer
with thanksgiving (Col. 4:2; Phil. 4:6). For Christians, prayer is simply the
chief part of thankfulness (LD 45). But an important, perhaps overlooked, means
of thanksgiving is singing. Scripture refers to it frequently. David wrote
songs and appointed Levites to give thanks morning and evening by singing with
instruments (I Chr. 16:4-7). Scripture says it is good to give
thanks by singing (Ps. 92:1), and urges us to come before His
presence with thanksgiving, making a joyful noise unto Him with psalms, and
with voices of thanksgiving to publish all His works (Ps. 95:2, 26:7).
For what are we to be thankful? Everything. In
everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you (I Thess. 5:18). Certainly this includes every good
gift of creation. Only if we give thanks can we eat to the Lord (Rom. 14:6). Marriage and meats were created to be
received with thanksgiving; indeed every creature of God is good if it is
received with thanksgiving (I Tim. 4:3-4). But, chiefly, we must thank God for
who He is and for every spiritual benefit He grants us. The psalmists gave
thanks for God's name being near (Ps. 75:1), for His righteous judgments (Ps. 119:62), and at the remembrance of His holiness
(Ps. 30:4). Anna gave thanks for Jesus Christ (Luke 2:38), and the Samaritan leper for His
healing (Luke 17:16). Jesus gave thanks that God heard Him (John 11:41), and hid the gospel from the wise but
revealed it to babes (Matt. 11:15). Through Paul we learn to give thanks
for the communion, love, earnest care, and remembrance of the saints (Col. 1:4; Acts 28:15; Phil. 1:3). We must be thankful for faith in Jesus
(Phm. 1:5), our election (II Thess. 2:13), His unspeakable gift (II Cor. 9:15), obedience to the truth (Rom. 6:17), knowledge of God (II Cor. 2:14), the Word of God (I Thess. 2:13), grace (I Cor. 1:4), our inheritance (Col. 1:12), for victory through Christ (I Cor. 15:57). And that most often mentioned—give
thanks for God is good and His mercy endures forever (I Chr. 16:34).
Giving thanks is the unique activity of the believer. The ungodly are unable and
unwilling, for in death there is no remembrance of God or thanksgiving (Ps. 6:5). It is the characteristic wickedness of
the world that when they know God, they neither glorify Him nor are thankful (Rom. 1:21). But the righteous give thanks, and do
so frequently, for it is the very purpose of our salvation and reason for our
existence (Ps. 140:13; Eph. 5:4). The Lord comforts