“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!” (Psalm 107:1-2)
I love the fall season. I love the vibrant colors of the changing leaves, the crisp morning air, wearing my favorite hoodies, and of course, all things pumpkin spice. But most of all, I love Thanksgiving. Yes, the food is wonderful, the time with family is encouraging, but most of all I appreciate that we have a day set apart for giving thanks to God for all that He has done and all that He is doing in our lives.
Have you noticed how fast the world around us accelerates toward Christmas once the fall season hits? Unfortunately, though, Thanksgiving for many has become little more than fly-over country on our calendars. It is, as I often say, the forgotten holiday. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
What if we took the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)? And what if such thankfulness – for the good and the hard in our lives – flowed through us like a dripping faucet into a bucket to be tipped in overflowing praise on this blessed day we call Thanksgiving Day? What if we came to the table of sharing just as stuffed with thankfulness as we leave it stuffed with food?
In the midst of all your thankfulness, let me encourage you to also give thanks to God for all that is happening with ELI. In October the faculty and leadership gathered in Tennessee for a week of sharing, praying, worshiping, learning, and hopeful planning. The rapid growth and expansion of our ministry of training others who will go on to train others is only possible because of the Lord’s abundant blessing.
As I participated, I couldn’t help but feel my heart overflowing with joyful thankfulness. What a joy it is to be a part of a ministry that is making such a big impact on the needs of so many pastors and leaders in the global south.
In Psalm 107:1, we are called to “give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” The LORD is indeed good, is He not?
Perhaps you were met with deep loss, or severe trial this year. Perhaps you are even walking through it now. Even so, you can be thankful for the enduring, covenant love that God has for you, the great love He has shown you through Jesus Christ. Perhaps thanksgiving comes easy to you this year because of all the blessings you’ve received. Or perhaps you are caught somewhere between the two extremes. Nevertheless, the LORD is still good and His steadfast love still endures forever!
I want to close by asking you to consider the beginning of the very next verse, Psalm 107:2: “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!” What a fitting exclamation point to an article about Thanksgiving. I invite you to join me in saying so! “Thank You, LORD for all that You’ve done; all that You are doing; and all that You will do! And thank You, LORD, for all who are reading this now. Thank You for their partnership and participation in the Kingdom work of ELI. May You keep them in Your love and sustain them through all their days, for Your glory and their good. Amen and amen.”
