A Prayer of Thanksgiving
For our American readers, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. With such a name, you would think that this would cause people to reflect on the blessings that have been giving to them this last year. However, that is often not the case. Many today are beginning their preparations for Thursday, many are traveling, many are dealing with family drama, and many are dealing with being alone during the holiday. It is without saying that even though the name is Thanksgiving, this holiday is difficult for us to find that feeling of thankfulness. If this description fits you, I ask that you instead examine Psalm 95.
“95 Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord, Let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let’s come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving, Let’s shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments. 3 For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, 4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are also His. 5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let’s worship and bow down, Let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, As on the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9 “When your fathers put Me to the test, They tested Me, though they had seen My work. 10 For forty years I was disgusted with that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. 11 Therefore I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest.”
This psalm serves two purposes. First, to remind the reader that we can joyfully praise the rock of our salvation. When everything in the world is going insane, it is our assurance in our salvation through the actions of Jesus Christ that gets us through. It is through the promises that God has given to His believers that brings us joy in a world growing steadily less joyful. It is a reminder that God is the author of our salvation, that He created the world from the lowest valleys to the highest mountain and we should be comforted in the knowledge of His faithfulness.
Second, this psalm also serves to remind those who hear His voice but are considering ignoring it. The Jews hardened their hearts against God during the exodus from Egypt, and that only caused them more issues. While God gave them what they asked for, they continually sought ways to find fault in following Him. This eventually caused for that generation to not enter the promise land. For those today who are considering turning from God’s word, keep this in mind; the world is getting more and more chaotic. Where will you find rest? The world has already proven that it cannot provide the rest you need, it is only in Jesus Christ do we find true rest. It is only when we have the mindset of the beginning of the psalm are we able to turn our eyes from the stress of this world and see the beauty that God has designed. This is how we truly can be thankful this holiday season.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex