Giving Thanks
By Peggy Kleckner
“Enter His gates
with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and
praise His name.”
Psalm 100:4 (NIV)
Two
years ago, I spent some time pondering the words “come and worship.” They were
printed on an invitation to a women’s Christmas luncheon at our church and
stayed with me. “Come” is certainly an all-inclusive invitation word, but
what of “worship”? Is it just singing? Is it music? Is it being quiet or being
alone? I think it’s actually more an act of bowing my heart to God’s headship -
- to His right to sit on the throne of my life as King. Yet not only
bowing to His authority, but also fully accepting and receiving His great love
for me, and then willingly loving Him back.
After
that, I read an article that was speaking of the birth of Christ. How
“imperfect” that birth looked to us. No room at the inn, a stable, no family
nearby. That imperfection was part of God’s sovereign plan. It was His right to
choose the setting. Into that very “imperfect” situation, God placed His
greatest gift and He sent out the invitation to “come and worship.” He called
all men to step away from their work, their worry, their hurry and find their
answer in Him alone.
As we
prepare to head into the Christmas season, how appropriate that we are first
called to gather and celebrate Thanksgiving. Our thanksgiving ushers us through
His gates and into His courts to worship and to bow our hearts to His headship
and His great love - - as our Redeemer, our King. Since most of the world
does not know Him, is it any wonder that they run over this holiday and head
straight to Christmas? As believers, shouldn’t we be setting our hearts first
to thanksgiving? We have already received the gift of His Son, our redemption.
That
first Christmas had the setting of rush and throng as well, and into its midst,
God sent His peace, His gift to all mankind. May we use this day of
thanksgiving to ready our hearts for true worship; let us live lives of
gratitude. He abides in us and with us. Oh, that we would look and act
noticeably different both at our Thanksgiving tables and then along the path to
Christmas Day.
Today,
let us bow our hearts - - grace-filled hearts of thanksgiving - - and worship
our King…preparing Him room to display His peace through our imperfect lives.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
What “imperfect” situation is keeping you from thanksgiving?
2.
Where is He calling you to display His peace?
FURTHER
READING:
Peggy
is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and
is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield.
