THANKSGIVING! Black Friday?

Black Friday is a name given to the day after Thanksgiving for the retail business. Sort of sets the reality of our world doesn't it? I have heard that Black Friday can be an all out war in the department stores so that the early shoppers get the worm or at least lower prices; that is if you wear combat boots and carry a big stick. I have never joined in.

In my lifetime there have been 4 major wars and we are currently in the 5th. As each conflict began and ended our country either prospered or spiraled downward. We walked away from the Korean Police Action under President Truman. It was evident that our country was distancing themselves from God when President Johnson called it quits and we broke ranks and our promises in Viet Nam. At that time, our country no longer gave honor to the war heros who felt rejected and disgraced. Then Sexual immorality within the office of the presidency came into play during the 90's and brought our country down even further. It appeared that many didn't even care! So having a black Friday the day after Thanksgiving seems to be fitting.

Even Jesus, talking to the Pharisees and scribes said; "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain they worship Me; teaching as doctrines the precepts of men." Matthew 15:8-9 What has been happening to this place we call home? Nobody likes to talk about these things! Many put their heads in the sand. "For what will a man profit, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" Matthew 16:26

But there is good news! We can always; "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name, for the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting ahd His faithfulness is to all generations." Psalm 100:4-5 God is faithful even today! We can be thankful to Him during this season and every day because we are a blessed nation and a blessed people, in spite of our leaders and their worldly ways.

Thanksgiving is time for praising our God because praise inhabits His people. Praising God with songs of rejoicing brings joy among God's people. Lets think about God's goodness! Lets count the blessings and take note of all the tiny splashes of joy that create the huge puddles we walk in daily, because we know that God is with us.

Have you ever felt the abandonment of the moment? Joyce and I were teenages, walking home from school one afternoon in the rain. The streets were flooding and we started walking down the middle of the street. Because we were with shoes in our hands, splashing in ankle deep water near the curbs filled with abandonment, seemed the right thing to do. Give thanks to our Lord with abandonment of the moment because all things come from Him. In reality thanksgiving is an action, not a day! Happy are the people that call upon their Lord and welcome Him into their gates with thanksgiving and praise!" It is the right thing to do!

"See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always; Pray constantly; Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophesying. But test everything; hold fast what is good; abstain from every form of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22

When we hold fast and are obedient to God's word, He is patient and waits for us. We think many times about our waiting on the Lord but first and foremost, He is waiting on us. "Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall! Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." Psalm 144:15 Happy indeed are those who live in the United States of America! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 11/18/09