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My God and My Neighbor is a “Bible talk show” that looks at religious issues, Christian living and world events in light of the Word of God to give hope. This podcast is a ministry of Tennessee Bible College. TBC offers a bachelor's in Bible studies, a master of theology, and a doctorate of theology in apologetics and Christian evidences. TBC also provides Christian books, audio recordings on the Bible, and free Bible courses in English and Spanish. Tune in to My God and My Neighbor to experience the educational content that TBC has been delivering for nearly five decades!
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Hi, I’m Kerry Duke, host of My God and My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee Bible College, where we see the Bible as not just another book, but the Book. Join us in a study of the inspired Word to strengthen your faith and to share what you've learned with others.
Today we're taking a pause in our study of the book of Philippians. The holidays are approaching, and things are slowing down—somewhat at least. I want to spend our time today looking at some special verses on the thought of being thankful. I also want to read some things I have saved over the years that I hope you'll enjoy.
Before we get started, I need to mention that we'll be taking a break in the next episode to do a special study of a controversial subject that needs to be addressed, especially during the holidays, by no means only at this time of the year, but especially during the holidays because it tends to be more of a problem, even among Christians. That’s why we need some straightforward Bible guidance on this subject. We’ll say more about that as the time approaches.
But today, let's think about being thankful to God. Let me stress those words: we should be thankful to God. I wonder if people even have that in mind when they talk about Thanksgiving. Millions of people will ask the question, "What are some things you're most thankful about this year?” And we make lists. Children and adults say they’re thankful for their health, their parents, their children, their friends, their food, their country, their jobs, their church family and other things. That’s a good thing. The world needs more grateful people. We have too many unthankful, spoiled people as it is. It’s refreshing to go to a restaurant and hear people say “Thank you” instead of complaining. It’s encouraging to hear children say “Thank you” when you help them. So the idea of having a holiday to be thankful is a good thing for the nation.
This time of the year was set aside in 1863 as a national holiday. When we hear the word “holiday” today, we usually think about eating as much as we can with fun and games and getting together with family. It's interesting to look at that original proclamation in 1863. This short statement mentions God five times. Here’s the original intention of this national day of thanksgiving in the Thanksgiving Proclamation of October 3 1863:
“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.”
You're probably thinking about the date of this proclamation: 1863. We were in the midst of a civil war. Americans were killing each other by the thousands. But in spite of all that bloodshed and the pain that it caused, there was a recognition of the Creator as the One who bestows all good things to mankind. There was a recognition that, as Paul said in his famous sermon in Athens in Acts 17:25, “He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” There was a common belief, as James wrote in James 1:17, that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” There was an acknowledgement that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” according to the words of our Savior in the Sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:45.
It's a good thing to be thankful to human beings. We should be grateful to our parents and grandparents. We should be thankful for our firefighters and rescue squads. We should appreciate our military and law-enforcement personnel. But more than anything we need to be thankful to God Almighty. If it were not for His gracious hand, none of these people could even breathe. I'm certainly not discouraging saying “Thank you” to any of these people. I am saying that we should be even more thankful, many times more thankful, to the God who gives life, breath, and all things. It's a good thing to say thank you to each other as human beings; it's better to be thankful to God. We should be both.
If we could be thankful as a nation in 1863 in the midst of a horrible war, we should find it easy to be thankful in the prosperous land in which we live today. Most of us eat very well. We don't wake up to the sound of bombs and sirens every day like many of the world do. We have more comforts and conveniences and pleasures than previous generations could have possibly imagined. And yet complaining is a national epidemic. The way that many people whine and complain in this country, you would think they would demand another national holiday. A national complaining day.
Gratitude is not just a day. Any day, not just Thanksgiving day. Thanksgiving is a frame of mind. It is an attitude. And that mindset can and should be there every day. Thanksgiving is a habit. It's not just a habit like which foot you put a sock on first. But it is a pattern of our lives. The more we think about what God has done for us and is doing for us the more grateful we are and the more often we thank him in our prayers.
Our image of Thanksgiving and our appreciation of it have changed over the years. We tend to see Thanksgiving as a perfect time of rest and relaxation, a time where we can get together as families and enjoy the day. And if you can have a Thanksgiving like that, then that's just one more thing to be thankful for. But the reality is that many people have a hard time enjoying the holidays. Why? Because of sickness and pain. Because of conflict in the family. Because death has left behind a load of grief. There are some of you that may not enjoy the holidays like others do or like you used to. You may even dread seeing the holidays come. But regardless of the shape you're in, you have things to be thankful to God for. And if you're a Christian, regardless of the troubles that sometimes spoil holidays, you always have more to be thankful for than any people on the face of the Earth, because you can always be thankful for being a child of God, having the forgiveness of your sins, and having the hope and promise of everlasting life in heaven. No matter what happens in this life, nothing can take that joy away from you.
I said that we were taking a pause from the book of Philippians, but there is one passage I want to highlight. It's Philippians four verses 6 and 7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The way to make it through the hardships of life is to trust God and remember the good things He gives you and the better things He promises you.
And, what we need to be thankful for as Christians above and beyond anything else is salvation from sin. Here is how Paul put it in II Corinthians 9:15: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” Wouldn’t it be great if those words were posted throughout the land on this and every day?
And speaking of being thankful, I want to say thank you to those of you who listen to this podcast. There's no way I can put into words how much it means to me to know that it’s helping you live the Christian life. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and may the Lord bless and keep you in all your ways.
Thank you for listening to My God and My Neighbor. Stay connected with our podcast on our website and on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are distributed. Tennessee Bible College, providing Christian education since 1975 in Cookeville, Tennessee, offers undergraduate and graduate programs. Study at your level. Aim higher and get in touch with us today.