An Old Thanksgiving Hymn

“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” (Psalm 95:1-6)

Years ago, when I lived in Germany, we sang an old favorite Thanksgiving hymn, “Wir Pflugen Und Wir Streuen.”  Below, please find the English translation of this wonderful melody written by Claudius Matthias in 1782:

“We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand.
God sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft, refreshing rain.

You only are the Maker of all things near and far,
You paint the wayside flower, You light the evening star.
The winds and waves obey You, by You the birds are fed;
Much more to us, Your children, You give our daily bread.

We thank You, then, Creator, for all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest, our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer, for all Your love imparts,
And what You most would welcome, our humble, thankful hearts.”

THANKSGIVING

“Bless the LORD, 0 my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2)

We have all but limited our thanksgiving to a November holiday. Once a year we celebrate this holiday by taking a day or two off work, inviting friends for a splendid meal and, we might even say a prayer at the dinner table! Here are some thoughts regarding thanksgiving as an every day practice. We should thank the God of Heaven for:
1. Our daily bread.
2. Those who go without food.
3. The very breath we breathe.
4. The freedom to worship the Lord God Almighty.
5. Our precious children.
6. The “extras” of life.
7. Our homes, be they ever so humble.
8. Family, friends and neighbors.
9. Mostly, for the love of God, Who sent His only begotten Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) to earth. He gave His life on the cross for our sins and was resurrected the 3 day according to the Scriptures. And this same Jesus will soon return to take all those who have placed their faith in Him alone for everlasting life to heaven.

Today, I am eternally grateful for the great salvation from sin and hell that Christ gave me. Also, for the faith He gave me to place my faith in Him alone. I am thankful for all of the above items and a whole lot more. All the benefits you have come to you from the gracious hands of a loving God! Thank Him for these gifts!

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Jesus Christ), clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen’” (Revelation 7:9-12)

Many years ago, we sang a little chorus that went something like this,

            Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,

            Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;

            Thank you, Lord, for giving to me

            Your great salvation, so rich and free.

Today I am thankful that Jesus saved me by His grace alone. It’s not anything that I deserved or did for Him (or myself, for that matter), but what He did for me when He died on the cross for my sins. I am so grateful that He chose to give me everlasting life as a gift. It’s all about His amazing grace!

Ah, yes, many today will be thankful for a number of things. And many of these things are great gifts from God, such as family, friends, some possessions and/or the breath of life. But the greatest of all gifts is eternal life lived in the immediate presence of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

Can you be thankful for that? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life? He made the greatest sacrifice so you would have the greatest salvation! Why not bow your knee to Him and confess Him alone as the Lord and Savior of your life – – for the greatest Thanksgiving ever!