OVOTC Service
November 19, 2017
“A Week of Thanks”
Hebrews 13:15 – “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of ourlips, giving thanks to His name”
Last week when talking about Veteran’s Day, I mentioned the United States Congress declared how the end of World War I should be commemorated with “prayer and thanksgiving.”
Today starts the week of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. In preparation for this holiday many people are finalizing travel plans, holiday menus and many are restructuring their financial budgets so they can shop early Friday morning after Thanksgiving. Sad to say, some stores begin this shopping extravaganza on Thanksgiving Day.
For a small historical side note: President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving Day to be on the last Thursday of November, but we now have Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of the month. How did this happen? In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed it to the fourth Thursday due to the urging of a retail association and out of concern for the economy. The purpose of this change was to extend the shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the goal of stimulating the economy as the American people worked to recover from the Great Depression. It is important to mention, President Roosevelt did not make this decision to neglect the Christian roots of Thanksgiving in his proclamation and he reiterated to the American people that they should also thank God.
I Chronicles 16:34-35“Oh, give thanks to theLord, forHe isgood! For His mercyenduresforever.
35And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.”
If ever there was a time it would have been difficult and to a certain degree almost impossible to “Thank God” would have been during the Depression. Despite the economic status of this nation, President Roosevelt still called on the American people to “thank God.” Psalm 107:1 – “Oh, give thanks to theLord, forHe isgood! For His mercyenduresforever.”
(:8, 15, 21, and 31)“Oh, thatmenwould give thanks to theLordforHis goodness, AndforHis wonderful works to the children of men!”
I believe many people start their week of Thanksgiving like any normal week in their lives and then on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day when surrounded around family and friends, they remember to give thanks to the Lord. (I Chronicles 16:8)
Giving thanks to God should not be emphasized during this week or on Thanksgiving Day but it should be demonstrated and lifted up every day we live. Pastor Allen Jackson made this observation, “We are living in a very unique season of human history, from a Christian vantage point we are watching one of the more precipitous declines of Christian influence in the history of Western civilization. In response to the various
issues arising today, one of the most powerful things we can do is to begin to practice gratitude to God for His blessings in our lives.”
“The opposite of being thankful is not being ungrateful. The giving of thanks is an action, it’s an activity. Ingratitude is not something you act out; ingratitude is a passive expression of rebellion. Having an attitude you’re not going to be appreciative, you’re not going to be grateful, you’re just not!” Pastor Allen Jackson
Giving of thanks is an expression of something which releases the power of God on your behalf. An attitude of thankfulness inside of you is a powerful force for good in your life.
Let’s make a commitment this week to give thanks to God every day. I believe it will unleash the power of God on your behalf and on our behalf as ministry.
Week of Thanks:
Sunday
______
______Exodus 20:11
______. Psalm 89:7
Monday
______.
Colossians 1:16
______.
Psalm 73:25
Tuesday
______.
I Corinthians 10:13
______.
I Corinthians 15:57
Wednesday
______
______Luke 4:4
______.
Colossians 1:12
Thursday
______.
Psalm 95:2
______
______Psalm 100:4
Friday
______.
Psalm 22:27, Proverbs 18:24, Galatians 2:16
Saturday
______.
Isaiah 61:10
______.
I Corinthians 15:57