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Thanksgiving
For Forgiveness
To be thankful, we need to receive
something from another. –And we have received so much from our
God. To be thankful, we need to know we have received it from
God. –There is so much we take for granted. To be thankful, we
need to appreciate and express our gratitude for the gifts we
have received. David said in Psalm 103 “Bless the Lord O my
soul and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all your
iniquities.” What have we received from God? Life,
relationships, providential gifts and callings, but most of
all the gift of His Son. “For God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have everlasting life” (John
3:16).
If we have the Son of God we have life (1 John
5:12). This was the secret
of the early Pilgrim’s in
Massachusetts
. If we have the Lord Jesus as our Savior and Shepherd we can be
thankful in any circumstance (1 Thessalonians
5:18). One
half of the pilgrim’s died the first winter. Of the 18 adult women, 13 of them
died. Yet with all of these difficulties they were eager to express their
thanksgiving to God when their first harvest came. As
Paul said in the book of Colossians: those who are translated into the kingdom
of His dear Son live their lives “giving thanks to the Father.” (Colossians
1:12).
Let us note again that David begins his thanksgiving in Psalm 103 with gratitude for
forgiveness. Those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans
10:13); and then they
never get over the reality of knowing their sins are forgiven. Their old sins,
their recent sins, their secret sins, their public sins!
One of the greatest stirrings of the soul toward
gratitude is to hear the Savior say to you, “Son, be of good
cheer, your sins are forgiven you” (Matthew 9:2). May this be
the way we begin our thanksgiving season this year. –And may
this gratitude never
end!
| Editor's note: Gary
Carter is an assistant to Dr. Gills as well as the pastor of Tampa Reformed
Baptist Church. |
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