Give Thanks!

We Canadians are entering the Thanksgiving weekend. I love this time of year. I love how the leaves changing colour glow and sparkle in the sunlight. It's harvest time, the fields have yielded their produce, and it's time to celebrate and give thanks.

At this time of year, I often think of the incredible history recap Moses gives to the people of Israel just before he dies. This is recorded in Deuteronomy. I have so many places underlined in Deuteronomy that have shaped the way I think and convicted me in how I live. We in the west experience an abundance of beauty and resources, peace and prosperity. We are wise to apply the principles that Moses lays out before the people of Israel to our own lives.

Even though this passage is kind of long, try to get into reading it and ask God to make it come alive to you.

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock! He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me."
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:10-18

Thankfulness is such an incredibly important characteristic to cultivate in our lives! God tells us over and over to be thankful. It's imperative for our mental and emotional and spiritual health. I believe it's also imperative for our physical health.

In Romans chapter one, Paul writes about the demise of mankind. Do you know where our demise begins?

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21

And it goes from bad to worse.

This Thanksgiving, give thanks! Every day, give thanks. God is concerned for our well-being. When He created us, He made us to be in relationship with Him. That's His desire; that's our design. That's how we operate best.

In my Bible, I've highlighted Deuteronomy 5:29 in bright pink. This verse shows God's heart towards us.
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! Deuteronomy 5:29

That's God talking. That's Him being so expressive about His desire for us. He wants life to go well for us. He loves us and is lavish in His love and provision for us. Let's love Him back and give thanks to Him. For He is good!