Thanksgiving Basics

The following proclamation was made by Governor Bradford in 1623, three years after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth.

To all ye Pilgrims, Inasmuch as the great father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, squashes and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the raids of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Plymouth rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.

That’s how Thanksgiving began.

That’s what Thanksgiving is supposed to be about today.

Thanking God for all He’s done.

People may think there’s not too much to thank God for today.

We only have to watch the news to see just how bad things are.

Our country seems, at times, to be worse than Sodom.

Our own personal problems sometimes even overshadow the problems around us.

It’s times like this when we need to get back to the basics.

There was a man in the Old Testament who faced many tragedies and problems.

1. Yet he still went back to the basics.

Psalm 103:1–22 NKJV

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. 17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. 19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. 21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

David had been through many tough times, yet he remembered the basics.

This Thanksgiving we need to get back to the basics.

Despite what may be going on around us, we have so much to be thankful for.

God has blessed us so much at the most basic levels.

We need to get out of the newspapers and TV reports, and let God’s Word lead us to thank God for all He’s done.

Let’s follow the lead of God’s Word this Thanksgiving and focus on Him.

During Thanksgiving we should Bless the Lord (vv. 1–2).

A. Bless the Lord.

Praise Him.

Esteem Him.

Thank Him.

B. With all your soul.

All that you are.

All that is within you.

C. Let’s get back to basics and thank our great and mighty God.

David thanked the Lord because He remembered all God had done.

The Pilgrims thanked the Lord because they remembered all God had done.

Let’s remember what God has done for us and give Him praise and thanks!

3. During Thanksgiving we should remember His benefits and greatness.

A. We benefit from His forgiveness (v. 3).

Psalm 103:3 NKJV

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,

Sin is a terminal disease.

We have no hope.

God has the cure.

Through Jesus Christ, we have been healed.

We are no longer under the sentence of death.

B. God is great in His forgiveness (v. 12).

Psalm 103:12 NKJV

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As far as the east is from the west, God has removed our sins.

Our sins are no longer held against us.

God has forgiven us totally and completely.

How great is that!

If you have nothing to thank God for, thank Him for forgiveness.

C. We benefit from His redemption (v. 4).

Psalm 103:4 NKJV

4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

Not only has God forgiven us, He has redeemed us.

We were slaves to sin and death.

But we were purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.

And He has crowned us with lovingkindness.

He has crowned us with tender mercies.

D. God is great in His mercies (v. 11).

Psalm 103:11 NKJV

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

God’s mercy is greater than the heavens are high.

We all know what we really deserve but He has had great mercy on us all.

To those who love and fear Him, He gives the greatest mercy, giving us heaven when all we deserve is hell.

E. We benefit from His renewal (v. 5).

Psalm 103:5 NKJV

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

He has satisfied the need we have most.

He has had compassion on us.

He has forgiven us and given us eternal life.

We are new creations, born again!

F. God is great in His compassion (vv. 13–14).

Psalm 103:13–14 NKJV

13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

Like a Father has compassion on His children, God has compassion for us.

He knows what we’re made of.

He knows the length of our days.

And He provides new life and eternal life to all who come to Him.

4. God is great in His rule of the entire universe (v. 19).

Psalm 103:19 NKJV

19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.

A. Our God is the only true God.

He rules over heaven and earth.

In all the universe, He has chosen us to be His.

What can compare to that?

What greater thing can we give thanks for than that?

B. What’s keeping you from giving thanks to God today?

What temporary trouble is robbing you of your joy in God?

What can take away all these things we have in Jesus Christ?

“Why are you so downcast, O my soul?”

We have so much to give thanks to God for this Thanksgiving!

When we get back to the basics of what we have, we should shout to the Lord!