Thanksgiving 2013 - "Our Eyes Are On Thee"
by Hal Lindsey
In the Christian life, Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It is a means of stepping out of defeat and into victory. It can be the choice that leads to faith, and is often faith's first work. It's the open window that banishes the darkest hour. Praising God is not a Pollyanna denial of reality, but the sober acknowledgment of a reality bigger than our fears and pain. We thank God because He deserves our thanks. And when we thank Him, it activates and amplifies faith. Therefore, it is the stuff of miracles.
An American Holy Day
The Thanksgiving holiday has deep roots in the American experience with connections to the Mayflower, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln.
Unfortunately, in this era a growing number of people criticize every mention of God in public life. They regularly attack having "In God We Trust" on our money, prayer at the beginning of important civic events, recognition of the Bible's role in the development of our system of law, and so on. But, in the media at least, they rarely criticize the Thanksgiving holiday. In 2008, atheist Susan Jacoby wrote for the Washington Post what can only be described as a snarky article decrying presidential proclamations of Thanksgiving. But she didn't directly criticize the holiday itself. Why not?
Today, some construe a Bible on a soldier's desk as a violation of the constitution's prohibition against the government establishing a state religion. Yet few complain about an entire day set aside by the federal government, and honored by all local and state governments, for the purpose of giving thanks to God. And while we're at it, you don't hear many complaints about Christmas as a national holiday either.
There's a simple explanation. Money. Christmas is essential to the economic health of the nation, and Thanksgiving is the most important day of the year for advertising. The media is advertiser-driven. The owners of print, broadcast, internet, and other media are not going to condemn the two things (Thanksgiving and Christmas) that account for as much as half their annual income.
It's difficult to remove a tree with roots so deep. So they try to redefine and repurpose these holy days. But at their heart, both days remain testaments to faith.
Giving Thanks in Perilous Times
In the last few weeks, the world has been destabilized in a host of ways. Economies are shaky. China is asserting itself on the world scene as, not just an economic superpower, but a belligerent military power as well. Iran, Syria,Egypt . . . the whole Middle East has stepped into a new, more dangerous era. I could write thousands of words about new dangers in the world, and only scratch the surface.
For many American Christians, these are particularly depressing times. We love our country. Throughout our lives we have seen it as mostly honorable and praiseworthy. But terrorists and nefarious men have stolen many of our freedoms, and much of the underlying recognition of human worth and dignity, that once made our nation special. So much that we saw as good, we now see eroding away. It feels like something's being lost that will never be found again.
Give thanks? How?
Abraham Lincoln declared a day of Thanksgiving during what may be the most difficult time in the country's history.
Paul and Silas gave thanks when most would be crying out for the relief of death. An angry crowd rose up against them, and the magistrates who should have protected them, did the mob's bidding instead. They ripped the clothes off Paul and Silas, beat them with rods, flogged them, and threw them into prison. It was a rough day. Then comes that amazing verse, Acts 16:25. "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God." [NASB] With their backs bleeding and raw, chained in a filthy dungeon, they chose to praise God for His grace and love. They did not give in to the human viewpoint of life and complain to God about their circumstances. As a result, they demonstrated the power of praise. God literally shook the earth and opened the cell doors in response to their demonstration of faith. As a result the Jailer and all his family trusted in the Christ they praised and were all saved.
God does not want you to fall into fear and depression. He wants us to see that He works all things together for good for those who praise Him in any situation - good or bad. He wants us to live in joy. Nehemiah told the people, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Turn Your Eyes on Him
The 20th chapter of 2 Chronicles tells one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible. In those days, Jehoshaphat ruled over Judah. He was a good, but not perfect king. Late in his reign, he faced what seemed like an impossible situation. The Moabites put together a coalition of nations to come against Judah.
Jehoshaphat prayed, "We have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." [2 Chron 20:12 KJV]
The Lord spoke. "Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them . . . You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem."
Then, still inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jahaziel, the man through whom the Lord spoke, added, "Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you."
Jehoshaphat "appointed singers unto the Lord, that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever."
Verse 22 links the moment of victory to the beginning of praise.
"When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants ofMount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another."
By the time God's people arrived at the scene, they no longer saw an undefeatable foe. They saw corpses. Verse 24 says, "No one escaped." The spoil was so great that it took Jehoshaphat and his people three days to remove it all.
Verse 27 says they "returned to Jerusalem with joy." They came again to the city named peace, to the home of their fathers, to the place God gave them for an eternal inheritance. They returned rejoicing. What began in dread ended in joy.
Verse 28 says "they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord." What a glorious parade! What a beautiful day!
Verse 29 says, "The dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel." At some level, their victory turned their neighbors into "God fearing men."
After that, "The realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about."
In today's chaotic world, how we long for quiet and rest. If you're a Christian, you can have it. You don't have to wait for your ship to come in. You don't have to wait for retirement or until that next raise or that next house or until you're physically well. It's yours now. Want to know how to get there? Give thanks to God! Praise Him! He deserves it, so praise Him from your heart! You will discover the power of praise to God.
It's a choice you make. A glorious, life-affirming, God-empowered choice.
In the Christian life, Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It is a means of stepping out of defeat and into victory. It can be the choice that leads to faith, and is often faith's first work. It's the open window that banishes the darkest hour. Praising God is not a Pollyanna denial of reality, but the sober acknowledgment of a reality bigger than our fears and pain. We thank God because He deserves our thanks. And when we thank Him, it activates and amplifies faith.
Therefore, Thanksgiving is the stuff of miracles. Have a joyous Thanksgiving.
Subject: Thanksgiving 2013 - "Our Eyes Are On Thee" 
Thu Nov 28, 2013 6:31 am
