Now thank we all our God … with hearts
Now was a good time. The nation of Israel was on the verge of entering the Promised Land. But without Moses. Their faithful leader for the past four decades would not be accompanying them. So as he says good-bye to them in the book of Deuteronomy, he holds God before them. Moses didn’t want any of them to forget the Lord their God.
Now is a good time. We are at the eve of celebrating this Thanksgiving holiday. All of us have reason to thank God as we remember him. We give thanks to him for he is good (Ps 106:1)—every good and perfect gift comes to us from God our Father (Ja 1:17).
It had been a 40 year detour. (A four minute one tests and tries our patience.) It was not because of bad directions, but bad decisions. God had proven his mighty power by rescuing his people from the cruel slavery in Egypt. How did they respond? By grumbling over and over. And griping again and again. And then when the 12 spies surveyed the land, they didn’t think that the God who brought them out of one country could bring them into another (Nu 14:21-23). So God disciplined them by not allowing them to go directly to take possession of Israel. Everyone 20 years and older would occupy a grave in the desert.
But now a new generation stood before Moses. This was the time to cross the Jordan River and conquer the excellent land. In a series of farewell sermons, Moses recalls for them God’s love to them. God had guided and guarded them—their clothes did not wear out nor did their sandals (Dt 29:5) [nor did they go out of style], but now he was giving them a good land.
But each of them was to be alert like when you are driving anywhere in the Twin Cities with or without a winter storm warning of snow, sleet, or slush. You have to be attentive. So Moses pleads: “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God” (Dt 8:11). “Forget” is in the sense of not remembering certain information and then losing sight of its significance like an expensive ring handed down from mother to daughter is hidden in a dresser drawer and not worn. They were not to do that with the Lord their God. We are not either. When we consider all that the Lord our God does, we have the proper reaction. We are grateful because the Lord is good (Ps 106:1).
Moses highlights a real danger. Pride. “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” (Dt 8:14).
It can happen that our hearts have a problem. Arrogance. We lift ourselves up and think too highly of ourselves. God made us—who we are and what we are (Ps 100:3). We had no say or made no suggestions. And it wasn’t because we deserved it, but because he determined it—eyes, ears, intelligence, wisdom, possessions, stuff. What we have is from a good and merciful Father in heaven.
And not just our physical belongings, but our spiritual blessings. We are no longer slaves to sin, but free in Christ—free from sin and free to serve. With diligence and in detail we keep what he directs us to do—his commands, his laws, and his decrees. Not to get things. But to give thanks.
It all begins with the right attitude in our hearts. Now thank we all our God with hearts.
We read from …
Deuteronomy 8:7,11,14
7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills. … 11 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. … 14 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.
Now thank we all our God … with hands
Our hand and wrist have 27 bones. That allows us to move our hands in many different ways, thanks to the 29 muscles as well. We are fearfully and wonderfully put together (Ps 139:14).
But Moses issues a word of caution to those who were about to settle in a new land—building nice houses and having many flocks and possessing much gold and silver (Dt 8:12,14). For a long time they had been going out and gathering their daily bread in the form of manna.
That would change as they earned a living by farming or shepherding. “You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me” (Dt 8:17). It would be tempting for them to consider and then claim: “Look what I have done. My muscle and my might have accomplished all this.” Instead, “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” (Dt 8:18). They were to call to mind the Lord their God. He was the One behind the riches and resources. He was the One who fulfilled his promise to give that location to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob’s descendants.
It is easy to look inward rather than outward. It is alright to take pride in a job well done like a student who is happy to get an “A” or an employee who is thrilled to get a promotion. But it is not due to our sweat and smarts. Those things, too, come from the Lord our God.
It didn’t work that way with our salvation. We did nothing. God did everything. He sent his Son to rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus did it by pouring out his blood to pay for our guilt to provide our freedom. Jesus made us his very own.
As redeemed children of God, we use the talents and treasures that he supplies to earn a living to take care of ourselves or our families—in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Or we develop our abilities until he gives us increased roles and responsibilities.
We labor out of love, employing all 27 bones and 29 muscles of our hands, doing it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col 3:17). Now thank we all our God with hands.
We read from …
Deuteronomy 8:17,18
17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 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.
Now thank we all our God … with voices
When we give thanks for a present, we are honoring the person who handed it to us. There is no thought of “I deserve this from you” or “You owe that to me.” No. But it is “thank you” or “thanks.” That individual gets the glory.
Moses urged that of the children of Israel: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you” (Dt 8:10). “To praise” God is to thank him for his greatness and goodness seen in his grace. They were to extol him for all his blessings—from the land to their lives.
In the quiet of this evening as we close our eyes in sweet slumber or in the contentment of tomorrow as we push ourselves away from the table in a food coma, we take time to state it—out loud even, “The Lord my God, thank you. Thank you for the gift of …”
Faith—I can say Jesus is Lord by the Holy Spirit (1 Co 12:3).
Forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation—Those go hand in hand, one leads to the other. We have peace with God and a place with God—on earth and for eternity.
Family and friends—I count them as blessings to hurt with me and to rejoice with me.
Food—More than likely there will not be a shortage in the next 24 hours, but a spread—turkey, potatoes, yams, stuffing, olives, buns, salads, jello. (Even if it is just Thanksgiving pizza.) That is true of the daily bread of today and tomorrow.
Fill in the blank. There is not a lack of reasons to praise the Lord our God—for personal things and in public ways.
Not to us, but to God be the glory (Ps 115:1; 1 Co 10:31). Now thank we all our God with voices. We read from …
Deuteronomy 8:10
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
Thanksgiving Eve
November 23, 2016
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