Thanksgiving, the Living God, and the Gravy of Gratitude

Although we are in the backstretch of No Quarter November, it is in no way inappropriate to embrace this designated day as a brief hiatus and respite. So we take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. Our wish for you is that you receive that final piece of pie as the crowning achievement of the day, and not as the ultimate woof that pushes you over into gastronomic discomfort.

On many previous Thanksgivings I have used this space to thank God for the gospel, for my wife, for my kids and their spouses, for my grand kids, and so on. In the last several years, we have been pushing into new territory, being now thankful for our great grand kids, there being now five of those. I have been blessed through my family in incalculable ways.

There are so many material blessings. Ankles that work, for example. Hot and cold running water. The hummingbirds that come around to our feeder in the summer. A riding lawn mower that runs. A spacious home library. Three acres. Palouse sunsets that compete with one another for best in show. Kentucky bourbon. Favorite scenes in great novels. Digital servants. The taste of curry. Blues and classic rock. Sturdy furniture. The convenience of air travel—being able to wake up in Tennessee and go to bed in Idaho.

There are so many spiritual blessings. Forgiveness. Bibles. Bible software. A loyal and dedicated congregation. Hardworking elders and deacons. Church women who make our new church hall run like a spinning top.

I already mentioned family, but it is worth returning to again. The groaning table is a metaphor, a type. The central thing is not what you eat, but what that eating represents. It is not what you eat, but rather who you are with when you get to eat it—not what’s on the table, but rather who is across the table. If you are in harmony with them, then stewed carrots would suffice. If you are not, then the best Thanksgiving menu in the world could not compete with the ache. A sumptuous meal is not close to being worth it if the home is full of discord. “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife” (Prov. 17:1, NKJV). And unfortunately, in the grip of this sin, people find it easy to locate the source of discord anywhere other than their own dirty heart. “If only they . . .”

Last thing. Gratitude is a foundational duty for every creature. Through lack of it, our people have wandered far off the path, and this is why our generation is hopelessly lost. The root of all atheism, both theoretical and functional, is ingratitude. Coupled together with a rejection of the sovereignty of God, the result is a mess.

How did this darkness arise? Through two great sins. The people did not glorify God as God. They refused to recognize or rejoice in His absolute sovereignty over everything and everyone. In addition, they refused to give Him thanks. The end result? They became vain in their imaginations, and they went downstairs to the fuse box and shut off the main breaker, and then groped their way back upstairs to evaluate the situation with scientific objectivity.

How should we answer this? What should our reply be? We should gather with our people. later on today, and reply with the gravy of gratitude.

Comments are open. Gratitude only, please.