Thanksgiving
"For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth."
Psalm 47:2
The 47th Psalm is a song of thanksgiving that proclaims God as sovereign ruler of all the earth. Sometimes these songs have a flavor of God's blessing upon the good guys and God's curse upon the bad guys. Emphasizing nationalism as a primary theme seems to miss the mark. This verse states the broader picture: God is awesome, we are told. God is over all the earth.
These days nationalism runs high. Thousands and thousands of our citizens are defending values that we cherish. We should be thankful for these committed women and men. Giving thanks to God for them is important. Similarly, citizens of other lands are prepared to defend values that they cherish. Undoubtedly their fellow citizens are thankful for them.
It is important to remember that people the world over are praising God and thanking God today. For example, the Islamic holy writings teach, "Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all being, the All Compassionate, the Master of the Day of Doom." This world is filled with persons of many religious faiths. A central tenet of major religions is this: praise and thanks is due to the Creator of the universe.
In our thanksgiving this week, let's be thankful for our nation and its people. And, let's be thankful for a loving God who is "a great king over all the earth."
A prayer: God of the universe, receive my thanks today for every part and every person in your creation. Amen.--Ben Keckler 11.20.07
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment