Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
Psalm 105:1 NIV
I have been reading articles, pro and con, on the celebration of Thanksgiving Day in America. To sum up what I’ve read, those against it are usually “godly” people who are upset that people thank those other than God, and “ungodly” people who are upset that people thank God. Those in favor of celebrating the holiday are usually those who are just glad people are thanking somebody, anybody, and those who are glad that people are spending lots of money in their places of business!
I am among another group who favor the celebration of this holiday: those who know that “Turkey Day” is not about the turkey and that Thanksgiving Day is not about thanking our government for saving us, our congress for leading us, or our businesses for providing for us. We are just grateful to know that there are millions of us who know who the real Savior is, who know who really leads us, and who truly understand from where our provisions really come! We are grateful to know that on that day, millions of us are focused on thanking Almighty God for what He as done for us in Jesus Christ, His Son, our Savior and Lord.
To say that we should not have a day dedicated to thanksgiving simply because some will abuse it is tantamount to saying we should not celebrate Christmas because many abuse that day, or close our churches because abusive people come to them. The day is what you make it. To most, it is a secular national holiday dedicated to a time when our nation comes together to say thanks to those they feel are responsible for their bounty. Because we know who is really responsible for not only our bounty but for our very existence, to us Christians it is a religious observation of the goodness of God, and we focus all our attention to collectively saying thanks to Him!
So, when you come together on this holiday to say “thanks,” be sure that you also make known among the nations (you can start with your family and friends!) what He has done.