Okay, Thanksgiving is over. Now we can get back to our ungrateful selves. Black Friday ushered in the competitive, frantic, rushing of the wonderful Christmas season. You know the pushing and shoving of crowded malls and shopping centers. The vying for parking places. (Take the old dented, beat up vehicle to the mall. The guy in the shiny newu Lexus will yield to you for that parking space every time). Sure we love the Christmas season, but somehow it's just not as relaxing as Thanksgiving.
Christmas is great, but maybe Thanksgiving is the more appropriate seasonal attitude. Don't get me wrong. I know a lot of benevolence happens at Christmas. Food banks get filled up. Toys, coats, clothing is bought for needy children and families. Salvation Army gets 80 percent of their revenue for their next year's operating budget through the bell ringers (estimated educated guess not necessarily fact). We all have a giving heart through the Christmas season.
It's just that seems to me that if we truly developed a Thanksgiving heart year round, the giving of Christmas would be unnecessary. A year round Thanksgiving heart would produce year round benevolent giving. More needs could be met throughout the year. It sounds strange, but somehow I think we turn our hearts toward God more at Thanksgiving than we do at Christmas. At Christmas we focus on giving and getting. At Thanksgiving we focus on God and family.
As I was reading this passages in Zephaniah, I've decided I didn't want to let go of Thanksgiving just yet. I started thinking more and more about the promises made here and the joy it brings through Christ. When I look at life with all it's challenges and miseries and difficulties, and I look at the relief, support, care, and provision of God, I want to stay at Thanksgiving.
Did you catch those phrases in these verses: Don't fear; Don't let your arms hang limp; God is with you; He is mighty to save; He takes great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you in singing. Hey, I want some of that action. That's something to rejoice over. God's in my corner! Talk about debt relief. He's promised forgiveness for my sin through Jesus, empowerment through His Spirit, eternity with Him. Thanksgiving teaches me dependence on Him and to turn my heart to Him.
God, when I come to you, you promise to take care of my oppressors, to rescue you me from my own plights, to restore me, to remove my shame, to grant me honor, to bring me into your presence. I don't want to lose sight of that. I want to grab hold of your guarantee. My heart overflows with joy when I simply reflect on you, your greatness and majesty, your heart and passion, your unending love. It makes me want to offer grace to others.
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