20Nov
If there were ever a day for followers of Christ to be thankful, this is it
Those who are with us are more than those who are against us…Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. – 2 Kings 6:16-17
If there were ever a day for followers of Christ to be thankful, this is it. Not only are the hills manned with God’s protection around your home this Thanksgiving Holiday, but for any foe or problem confronting you, the strength in your camp is far superior to that encamped against you.
A story is told of Scottish minister Alexander Whyte, who was able to look at the bleakest situation and yet find something to be thankful for. On a dark Sunday morning, when the weather was freezing, wet, and stormy, one of his deacons whispered, “I am sure the preacher won’t be able to thank God for anything on a day like this. It’s absolutely horrible outside!” The pastor began the service by praying, “We thank Thee, O God, that the weather is not always like this.” The apostle Paul also saw the best in every situation. Consider his circumstances as he wrote to the church in Ephesus while he awaited trial before the Roman emperor Nero. Most people would have concluded that he was a prisoner of Rome. But Paul saw himself as a prisoner of Christ. He considered his hardship an opportunity to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.
I grin at how predictable it has become for the most religious person to get nominated to bless the food each year. Nothing wrong with that, but what about a change-up this year? You can start a brand-new tradition by opening up the floor for other family members to share “This is what I’m thankful for” before blessing the food. I suggest prepping two to three people in advance to get the ball rolling. Others will follow suit, I promise. A friend, William Phillips, puts 20 verses in a jar, and each member pulls one out to read and shares what they’re thankful for.
As for me, I’ll share how grateful I am for the Lord giving me eyes to see 2 Kings 6 this past week. Not seeing as in reading the ink on Scripture’s pages, but seeing in order to understand and apply. I’ve gotten into a cruddy habit of perceiving “those who are against us” as being far superior to those who are for us, which ultimately means God. If God be for us, who can be against us? I’ve consistently allowed bleak weather, “it’s absolutely horrible outside,” to overshadow “I’m just glad the weather’s not always like this.” Whereas another may envision God’s Kingdom marching on, I’ve made the Gospel’s foes larger than life. But not this week. All I can see is the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around.
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