Thanksgiving: A Spiritual Reflection

Psalm 107 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Thanksgiving. What a beautiful thing to do. It touches so many in so many ways that sometimes, we even cry giving thanks.

I am sure we all have different opinions about it and can very well be a subject for debate. But, for today’s message, let’s just say that “Thanksgiving” has been celebrated since ages and has religious and cultural roots.

So, I personally think, it is fair to look at it from both physical and spiritual perspectives.

We live through our mortal lives and say “Thank You” pretty much every day for various things. We get up in the morning and take care of our daily needs, responsibilities and obligations. Then, we come home at the end of the day, eat, enjoy, give thanks, say our prayers and go to bed.

Our today was like yesterday and tomorrow will echo today.

But, I wonder

If I am truly thankful, then am I thankful for :

my family, relatives and friends?
my health and job?
my achievements, success and finances?
the sun that shines and being the source of the warmth?
the salt of the seas?
the smell of flowers, beautiful colors and seasons?
the rain and wind?
food and water?
mountains, greenery, amazing landscapes and entire universe?
day, night and the breath that I take?
…

My point is not that we need to be on our knees everyday to thank God for all this but be mindful of what God blesses us with everyday.

So, pause and think

If I am more thankful to God and others in my life, irrespective of what I go through and no matter how others treat me

Would I experience something greater?
Would it be more satisfying?
Would it be more peaceful?
Am I going to look at life differently in a more humble way?
Would it make a difference in someone else’s life?
Would it make a difference to God and others?

I would say most certainly. Don’t you think so?

I wonder how thankful was the royal official whose son when lying sick at Capernaum was healed at the very same hour when Jesus said “your son will live”.

How many times God has done that for us in our sickness?

I experienced it…

I remember my flight to Paris and both of my kids got sick due to something that they ate right before boarding.

Man! that was the worst flight of my life. They both suffered. They were throwing up and were having motion at the same time.

Can you imagine what they were going through every half an hour? My wife and I felt so helpless during the flight.

When it got to a point where I could not see my kids suffer any more, I just shouted out to God. Not at God but to God.

I mean, literally shouted out from deep down within my soul without the sound. And, I still get chills when I think and speak about it that how after my cry out to the Lord, my kids got healed. They were healed at that very moment. God was there. How can I forget that?

Psalm 107: 1 says “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”. In another translation it says “His mercy endures forever”.

So, let’s take a look at thanksgiving, for its goodness, love and mercy.

How thankful were these?

I wonder how thankful was Simon, who was a fisherman by profession and Jesus’s disciple, when Jesus went to his home to heal his mother-in-law suffering from a high fever. They asked Jesus to help her. So, he took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.

I remember the time of my son’s birth when I was running a very high fever and how I rebuked it in the name of our Lord and the fever left me. Man, I was thankful.

You know at sunset people used to bring to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying HIS hands on each one, he used to heal them. How thankful were they? OR when Simon caught such a large number of fish that his net began to break.

How thankful was that leper OR when Jesus healed centurion’s servant, a paralyzed man, a withered hand and a deaf man.

Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed a demon possessed blind and mute, raised a widow’s son, Jairus’s daughter and Lazarus.

I mean when I think about all of the miracles and wonders of Jesus, I always wonder how thankful were those people.

You know many times we are thankful when we get something or receive gifts and presents. But, in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, it says that “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”.

Have we?

felt the joy of thanksgiving from the one whom we just fed?
felt the satisfaction of thanksgiving by the one whom we just clothed?
felt the true thanksgiving from a person whose debt we may have forgiven?

I wonder about all those Doctors and Nurses who see their patients for free or lawyers who do pro bono work.

Police officers who work tirelessly to protect our community.

Men and women who lay their lives for the country.

Charitable non profit organizations that work towards protecting and helping lives, to help the living and to give hope.

They, who do all of this, I am sure, are thankful in their lives. What other reason can there be?

They support lives of those who cannot support or service themselves.

We are living in a world where many times we focus on the bad instead of focusing on a greater good.

What we say and do everyday may not be the best example of thanksgiving but God’s will is that we Thank HIM in all circumstances. To remember HIM and Praise HIM in every situation.

Let’s be Thankful

Let’s be thankful and feed someone who is hungry.
Let’s be thankful and clothe someone who is without clothes.
Let’s help the homeless because we are blessed with a home.
Let’s warm the ones who are cold because we have felt the warmth of our Savior.
Let’s bless someone because we are thankful to be blessed.
Lets pray for the broken spirit because we are thankful that God has lifted up our spirit.
Let’s give to those who don’t have much because we are thankful that God has blessed us abundantly.
Let’s be patient because God waits upon us patiently whenever we become a prodigal son to HIM.
Let’s volunteer to help someone, somewhere or ministry in need because we are thankful that we were helped in the times of our need.

I am certain that we are all grateful for the many material blessings in our lives, but for me, if God had not instilled in me the desire to know Him, to thank Him, and to experience His presence each day, my physical existence would lack the joy found in actively living a spiritual life. Let us express our gratitude through our actions and deeds towards those in need, because

Isaiah Chapter 12 verse 4 says “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted”.

Happy Thanksgiving!

*** Desire Life, Love, Light and Stay Blessed ***

I Desire Life