Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. (Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV)
During my childhood, our family’s Thanksgiving meal was a special event. To me, the various foods seemed exotic and exciting, so different from our normal everyday fare. A turkey with all the trimmings was a picture of luxury compared to our regular macaroni and hot dogs!
It was in the moments before the meal began that my father found great joy in tormenting us children with an especially lengthy prayer. He would pray for each person at the table. He would pray for every church missionary by name. He would also pray for the starving children around the world in an attempt to remind us how fortunate we were!
He was sincere, of course, and so was I as soon as he finished praying, fully intent on gorging myself on turkey, cranberries, stuffing, potatoes and gravy–and don’t forget desserts too!
The abundance of a Thanksgiving meal is a blessing that not everyone is fortunate enough to experience. But there are blessings that go deeper than an abundant meal. This passage in Deuteronomy is a reminder of God’s blessings to His Chosen people:
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6 ESV)
God chose Israel to receive the gift of His grace. Not because Israel was such a great and mighty nation, nor because Israel was weak and timid. No, He chose Israel because He’d made a promise to their ancestors. God keeps His promises because He is forever faithful (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). This is true blessing, true abundance, true extravagance.
Soon, this week, many of us will join family and friends for an extravagant meal. Maybe you are on your own. Maybe you’re participating virtually. However you celebrate Thanksgiving before you dive into that turkey and dressing, maybe you’d consider taking a moment to “taste and see” how good God is.
Be intentional with your gratitude. Make the time to acknowledge that God is the One who graciously bestows blessings on us. Set the example for everyone at your table to recognize what God has done.
Like Israel, we who believe in Jesus are the recipients of God’s love and grace. We are His treasured possession! His faithfulness is reliable. His mercies are new every morning. His forgiveness is sweet. What a wonderful blessing that God honors His covenant promise to those who love Him and keep His commandments.
May your celebrations be blessed, and may we all remember to be grateful for all that God has done–and is doing–in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving!
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