Getting Ready for Thanksgiving
Day 4 - Getting Ready for Thanksgiving
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Are You Sure You Want to Go Back?
I grew up hearing “So you wanna go back to Egypt?” The singer, Keith Green, used this tongue-in-cheek song to describe the struggling Israelites wandering in the wilderness and make an important point. “Moses seems rather idle. He just sits around, he just sits around and writes the Bible! Oh, Moses, put down your pen! What? Oh no, manna again!” His point—how quickly the Israelites forgot how oppressed they were in slavery in Egypt.
It’s easy for us to say, “What a bunch of idiots.” But if we’re honest, we often complain and lose sight of God’s provision and purposes as well. We look at our box of ramen, which was donated, but we sure would’ve preferred mac and cheese. We drive our 10-year-old sedan when a 3-year-old SUV is preferred. We squeeze into our living room for Bible study but long for that open-concept home.
No matter what “deficit” you may be facing, God’s blessings are a gift. Listen to Paul’s encouragement for us today.
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:3-8).
What a staggering reality! God chose us before the foundation of the world to become heirs of the Kingdom. He, in His grace, poured out on us every spiritual blessing. God’s kindness is showered upon us with ALL wisdom and understanding.
It’s true, you may not be where you want to be in life, but if it wasn’t for God’s grace, where would you be? Back in your own version of Egypt. You’d be a slave.
Today, “praise the name of God with a song and magnify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30). He loves you. He wants to bless you. He will continue to bless you. And He desires and deserves your thanksgiving. So let’s start today.
Receive: Read Psalm 69:30-36. What does this passage teach us about God? About us?
Reflect: Identify 5 things you are thankful for. Tell God how and why you are grateful. Share 1 thing with one person. See how your joy infects other people.
Respond: Thank you, God, for choosing me. Thank you for blessing me. Thank you for loving me. Help me spread this same grace and love. Amen.
I grew up hearing “So you wanna go back to Egypt?” The singer, Keith Green, used this tongue-in-cheek song to describe the struggling Israelites wandering in the wilderness and make an important point. “Moses seems rather idle. He just sits around, he just sits around and writes the Bible! Oh, Moses, put down your pen! What? Oh no, manna again!” His point—how quickly the Israelites forgot how oppressed they were in slavery in Egypt.
It’s easy for us to say, “What a bunch of idiots.” But if we’re honest, we often complain and lose sight of God’s provision and purposes as well. We look at our box of ramen, which was donated, but we sure would’ve preferred mac and cheese. We drive our 10-year-old sedan when a 3-year-old SUV is preferred. We squeeze into our living room for Bible study but long for that open-concept home.
No matter what “deficit” you may be facing, God’s blessings are a gift. Listen to Paul’s encouragement for us today.
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:3-8).
What a staggering reality! God chose us before the foundation of the world to become heirs of the Kingdom. He, in His grace, poured out on us every spiritual blessing. God’s kindness is showered upon us with ALL wisdom and understanding.
It’s true, you may not be where you want to be in life, but if it wasn’t for God’s grace, where would you be? Back in your own version of Egypt. You’d be a slave.
Today, “praise the name of God with a song and magnify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30). He loves you. He wants to bless you. He will continue to bless you. And He desires and deserves your thanksgiving. So let’s start today.
Receive: Read Psalm 69:30-36. What does this passage teach us about God? About us?
Reflect: Identify 5 things you are thankful for. Tell God how and why you are grateful. Share 1 thing with one person. See how your joy infects other people.
Respond: Thank you, God, for choosing me. Thank you for blessing me. Thank you for loving me. Help me spread this same grace and love. Amen.
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Thank You, Lord, for overseeing our move and blessing us with a perfect home.