Thanksgiving is a time to remember. But to remember what? To remember everything you're thankful for, obviously. But what about God? You think, "of course I remember God! He has given me my family, my friends, and this food! Of course I praise Him!" But do you really, truly remember Him? You see there will be a day when all that you see in front of you will be gone and everything you desired/wanted will be utterly meaningless. You think, "Well you're being quite a downer now aren't you?" Truth is, I'm not. I'm being for real. Because truth is, everything comes down to God; everything comes down to the Creator of all things-both good and bad. There is going to be an end and there is going to be goodbyes. Question is, how are you going to respond? In Ecclesiastes 12, Solomon says this very thing. The Word also mentions that it's better to mourn at a funeral then it is to celebrate at a party. What does that look like? What does that mean? I think it means we are to be humble and like I mentioned before, we are to remember: who we are, where we are going, who put us here and why. So what does it look like to remember? Remember God, your Creator? Does it mean remembering how He provides? How He is always there? What the preacher says on Sunday morning? Does it mean remembering what He does to broken hearts? How He comforts those who are alone? How He sets the prisoner free? Has He set you free? You see I know my God has set me free, but many times although it's impossible to truly forget, I forget. I go back to the same old ways, my same old habits, & my same old addictions. "Remember me" He says. Remember. Here's the conclusion of all things says Solomon: "fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of every human being. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." You will do many things in this life, but a day will come when you will stop and ponder those things. Will you be ashamed? Or will you be proud? What about those who are watching? What about the One who is always watching? Don't buggle your mind with many words and books, says Solomon. Just remember. Because what has been taught, what is being taught, and what will be taught is all the same thing. Fear God and keep His commandments. This Thanksgiving what does that look like in your household?
