Thanksgiving Sacrifice
We are just over a month away from the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA. We stop our work and connect together to celebrate around a meal with grateful hearts. This holiday event started out as a celebration of the harvest. The first US President, George Washington celebrated this holiday by proclamation in 1779. It was made a federal holiday in 1863 when President Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”, to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November”. The holiday today has morphed into the start of the Christmas shopping season.
Moses was giving the regulations for the fellowship (aka peace) offering. This was an offering that was presented as an expression of thankfulness. It reminded me a bit of our Thanksgiving meal. Check this out…
11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord:
12 “‘If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. 13 Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast. 14 They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. 15 The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning. (Leviticus 7:11-15 NIV)
I believe that a thankful heart reflects humility and gratitude combined. I believe it appears to be a position of weakness by some, but I believe gratitude is a position of great strength. In our humility, the Power of the Greatest Giver – God is acknowledged and our perspective is changed dramatically. I have really been actively trying to start each day with a grateful heart before the Lord. He has blessed me in so many ways. He has provided for my family and me. He is always present to give me strength when I’m tired. He gives me wisdom and discernment when I’m at a crossroads of decision. I can’t possibly do justice to express to Him my thankfulness. The very least I can do for all He has done for me is to genuinely thank Him for Who He is and what He’s doing in my life.
Gratitude positions my heart to connect with the Lord and it touches every area of my life – especially my attitude!
Pressing On!
Dwayne