Googling Gifts

October 25, 2007
12:39 AM

Don't ask me why but every so often I'll google Knox's name and see what comes up. Ignoring all the misinformation out there, something popped up this time that hadn't before. It was the Westminster newsletter that announced Knox's birth. Also in that newsletter was an article written by Jon on Thanksgiving. Anyway, I was glad I was googling and glad of what I found as some things never change.

SPECIAL DELIVERY:
Matthew Knox Anderson was born at 7:26 PM on October 27, 2005, to Jon and Rachel Anderson. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and measured 20 inches. Please welcome this special addition to the Anderson family!


His Steadfast Love Endures Forever:
The Basis of Our Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3)

As the calendar page flips from October to November, it is natural for our thoughts to begin to turn to Thanksgiving. For some, it is thoughts of all the great food they will eat over the holiday. For others, it is the abundance of football to watch. For still others, it is the thought of being together with family, of seeing loved ones after months of separation. Thanksgiving is a time for all of these things and even more.

However, it is most important that we take time to do what the name of the holiday suggests and that is to give thanks. This should not happen merely one day a year but should be a character trait of the believer. We should show our appreciation both to God and to others. This is no mere trifling thing. The Apostle Paul wrote that one reason the wrath of God is revealed from heaven is because “although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him”. A lack of gratitude and thankfulness is one fruit of a sinful heart.

But what reason do we have for being thankful? Psalm 136 provides at least one answer. In it, the Psalmist lists many of the ways God has acted on behalf of His people. Each reason is followed by the refrain, “for his steadfast love endures forever”. Now, when Scripture repeats something, we should take notice. When it repeats it 26 times in one psalm, it is like a two by four between the eyes. What does this refrain mean? Simply put, it speaks of the continuing love which God has for His people. The phrase is so brief that we may miss the emphatic quality of it. “Steadfast”, “endure”, and “forever” all speak to the same idea. The love of God abides upon us and it will not change.

Therefore, the basis of our thanksgiving is not our circumstances or material possessions; it is the knowledge and experience of God’s never-failing, never-ending love for us.

This then puts into perspective all that God has done for us. The Psalmist repeats the refrain in order to keep us from idolatry. We so easily can get our eyes fixed on the blessings (on what God has done for or given to us) that we forget the One who gives the blessing. We are reminded that what we have is not a result of our worthiness nor the payment of something we are due. Instead, it is an expression of the overflow of God’s love for us and mercy toward us.

This is given clearest expression in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) In Christ, the reality of “his steadfast love endures forever” is given its highest manifestation. It also strengthens our confidence and assurance that God will never leave us or forsake us; in fact, He cannot.

God, however, also chooses to use others to convey His love to us. Therefore, while not forgetting God as the ultimate source, it is perfectly right to give thanks to others. With this in mind, I would like to give some long overdue thanks.

• First, to the Session of WPC, I give thanks for the call you have extended to me and the opportunity you have given me to shepherd the flock with you.
• Second, to all the officers, I give thanks for your ready acceptance of me into your ranks and your encouragement of me in my ministry.
• Finally, to the congregation, I give thanks for your many displays of kindness to me and my family. From the official “events” of the pounding dinner and my installation to the many “unofficial” mercies you have shown to us, you have made our transition to Texas easier (despite the record-breaking heat). I particularly appreciate the way you have accepted my wife and children into your midst. One of the main concerns pastors have when they move is the effect upon their families. In this instance, any concerns I might have had were quickly dispersed by your love and care.

I encourage you this Thanksgiving season to take some time and consider God’s steadfast love and the ways He has shown that love to you over the past year. May God make us a thankful people whose sight of the gifts of God are always overshadowed by the brightness of the love, grace, and mercy of the One who gives them.

Giving thanks to Him,
Pastor Jon


PS The alliteration is for Wade Coleman. ;)