Join the Battle by Giving Thanks with Joy
Giving thanks to God is not an afterthought in Scripture and it is done with joy and delight. Indeed, radical delight in God is the duty of the Christian. We are to enjoy God and His blessings thoroughly with gusto and there is no better time to do this than Thanksgiving. Indeed, no one can celebrate this day more appropriately than God-fearing, God-intoxicated, joyful Christians. Doug Wilson meditates on Deuteronomy 28:45-49 and excellently makes this point. He counters the easy cynicism of world-weary Christians by encouraging us to fight the evil of our day with joyful thanksgiving rather than whining like the murmuring people of Israel in the wilderness.
He ends with this very good word:
And so, we know that the days are evil. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). But this is what Paul tells us right before he urges us to walk in the Spirit, overflowing with thanksgiving. In what kind of time are we to be filled with the Spirit, singing and psalming in our hearts? In evil days. And he says this right before he says to give thanks for all things (Eph. 5:20). Did we catch that? We give thanks for all things in evil days. We serve a sovereign God. And so, this Thursday, strike a blow for righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and do it with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, potatoes, and pie.
Go thou and do likewise!
