"Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice Phillipians 4:4
Psalms 100:
"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know the Lord is God!
It is he that made us and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
It is he that made us and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For the Lord is good:
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
As I sit today, prepare and wait for my children and grandchildren to get here for dinner I reflect on this verse of Thanksgiving. It is a remarkable outburst of gratitude and joy. It is an appropriate passage for the Thanksgiving holiday, a time set aside to be grateful for the many blessings in my life, my husband, children, grandchildren, provision, ....HEALTH!
A harvest festival is celebrated by many cultures as a way to give thanks for the bounties of the earth and our life. A time set aside for "Thanksgiving" reminds me of the importance of giving thanks for what I have been given.
Giving thanks for people in my life and for the many blessings I have are very important. It is good for relationships. It is good for my soul. I don't mean to slight this kind of thanksgiving at all. But when I read this passage from the letter to the Philippian church, I believe that Paul is referring to a radical shift of gratitude, a type of thanksgiving that has nothing to do with recollecting my blessings. "Rejoice in the Lord, always," says Paul. A way of giving thanks:
in the Lord and always.
Always?….. What if I hear that neighbors were in a terrible car accident, the mother died, the daughter is in critical condition, the father and son left without a mother, wife? Rejoice always?
I don't hear Paul say, "for health and strength and daily food, I give you thanks, O Lord." Paul makes no reference to the blessings I often speak of when I offer thanks.
I don't hear Paul say, "for health and strength and daily food, I give you thanks, O Lord." Paul makes no reference to the blessings I often speak of when I offer thanks.
I am usually giving thanks for something: I am thankful for so many “things” - I’ve been taught from childhood to "count my blessings," to be grateful for what I have, and I AM ~
In contrast here though, I believe that Paul invites me to be grateful. Simply be grateful. It doesn't mean I don't rejoice in the blessings I can count, but that my sense of gratitude is not dependent upon these things.
As my family gathers today at my house with the smells of Thanksgiving – Lord remind me..
"Rejoice in the Lord always."
