“. . . seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4) 

 

I hope you’ve been enjoying our family conversation about worship over the past few weeks.  As we enter the month of November, which culminates in a national celebration of thanks, perhaps it is appropriate to take a look at the act of thanksgiving as a form of worship. 

  

It’s hard to believe it, but there was actually a time in the life of our nation when our government set aside a day to recognize how blessed we are as a country, and to honor and celebrate God for those blessings.  If we think back to the Pilgrims whose survival of that harsh and painful first year in the land that would become America, we are gripped by what those settlers were truly thankful for.  So many had not survived, so many crops had failed, and it seemed as if either the land, the elements, or starvation would exact a continuingly high toll.  But, they survived.  By God’s grace and mercy, that ragtag band of settlers began to see light at the end of a dark, cold tunnel.   

 

Thanksgiving was surely in order.  And, give thanks they did.  And, from that point forward, we began to marvel as God showered His blessing on this incredible nation.  If thanksgiving is the act of acknowledging unmerited favor, then the act of giving thanks is the highest form of worship.  We have been learning that our worship is a response to what God has done for us – not anything we have done for Him.  So, like those first Pilgrims, we gather to recognize God’s provision:  for our lives, for our blessings, for our freedoms, for our families and our friends.  We also acknowledge that without the ultimate gift – His Son, Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross paid our sin debt and gave us right standing before the Father – all of those other blessings we just mentioned would be hollow and meaningless.  We give thanks because our lives are a testimony to benevolence and mercy.  We give thanks because in doing so, we show love, which is a small example of the overwhelming love God has shown to us. 

 

In the passage above, we see that God, in His divine power, has given us everything we need to pursue and live a life of godliness, or excellence.  This isn’t something we’ve earned – it was a gift, free to us, but at an unspeakable price to God.  Why?  So we could partake in His divine nature – God created us to be so much more than just human – we have been given the precious gift of being called a child of God and co-heir with Christ of God’s kingdom.  Now, if that’s not a cause for thanksgiving, I don’t know what is! 

 

Treat thanksgiving as worship – and share the reason for this season!   

 

In His Love,

Bro. Heath