There are plenty of reasons be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. For the farmers, they may be thankful that they were able to successfully harvest their crop. For families, they may be thankful for having the opportunity to see their loved ones again, especially for grandparents able to see their grandchildren.
Some may be thankful that all their bills have been paid while others may be for having good health. As the scriptures says, in everything give thanks.
However, when life is easy, we are very thankful for what God has given us and how He has provided for us.
But what happens when life is hard, what happens when grandparents are no longer able to see their children and grandchildren due to distance, bad relations or even death?
What happens when the crops have failed at the time of harvest? What happens when people can’t pay their bills or rent? What happens when you have been diagnosed with a terminally ill disease? Can we still be thankful and give thanks to God?
The bible states, “You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” Giving God thanks for all things demonstrates a recognition that He is a good God, regardless of whether we consider something to be a blessing or a burden. When we give God thanks, we trust that God is working out everything for His good purposes so we may be conformed to His image and so we may be transformed to be like Christ.
There are several things for us to be thankful for.
One reason to thank God for is Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do of our own selves to earn salvation. Salvation for us was given to us by the death, burial and resurrection of His Son.
By faith, when we repent and turn away from our sins, we have been made right with God. When we believe by faith in what he has done, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, we are thankful that He is going to come back and take us to be in His presence.
Another reason is that God has given us friends and families. The reason is that He gives us the opportunity to experience that love God gives to man through His Son.
God’s Word is another reason to be thankful for. It reveals God’s character and love for man through Jesus Christ. His words comfort us and guide us. His words give us joy, peace, happiness, hope of His Second Coming and eternal life.
The last, but not the least, of things to be thankful for is October 31.
The whole world understands October 31, to be the day of Halloween, where children and adults dress up as different characters from movies, TV shows, and games to revel in food and childish mischief.
However, the origin of October 31st, and the reason to thank God for is that on October 31, 1517, is the day that Martin Luther, a former Catholic priest, walked up to the doors of Whittenburg and nailed the infamous 95 theses which started the Protestant Reformation.
Reformation Day is the day that Martin Luther upheld biblical truths, rejected traditions that had no biblical foundation and fought for religious liberty.
Because of Christ, we thank God that we are justified by faith through grace. Because of Martin Luther, we thank God that we can exercise our religious liberty. Because of the Protestant Reformation, we thank God that we have the liberty to spread hope and the good news about Jesus Christ and His soon Coming.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Teddy Joseph is the pastor at the Stettler and Sedgewick Seventh-day Adventist Church.