Category Archives: Thanksgiving

We Gather Together

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We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Words and Music by Adrianus Valerius, 1597

 

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Matthew 18:20

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37 – 39

 

Among my most cherished memories from growing up are family gatherings. Be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, a wedding or whatever, there are few times in my life that stand-up in comparison.

Now I don’t come from the largest family I know, but on the other hand, I certainly don’t come from a small one either. I remember getting together at my Grandparents house for Thanksgiving. We would have two full size tables set, when it came time to eat we would gather around, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents and sometimes second and third cousins, great aunts, great uncles, even great grandparents. Yes, we were a very close family and still are. To this day, my closest and dearest friends are family.

The added gift to our family is that we were believers. As a result the ties that bound us together went beyond blood, and into our very spirit. As we would gather around the table, my grandfather would lead us in prayer. While he was a simple man, his prayers stand out as some of the most heartfelt I have ever heard. Genuine, moving and from the heart.

So he would pray thanking God for our being together. Thanking Him for the blessings he had bestowed on us. And praying that God would continue to bless us. This is the theme found in Adrianus Valerius’s hymn/prayer, “We Gather Together.”

The first line we see is, “We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing.” Valerius reminds us that we have been called to gather together, for this is where we will see the power of God manifested. Jesus told us in Matthew 20:18 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” In addition, the writer of Hebrews instructs us in 10:25 to “not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.” Gathering together is foundational to what it means to be a believer.

But as we come together, we each come from our own unique struggles. This prayer now turns to remind us that God will not leave us. It reads, “The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing. Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.” Alone, we begin to feel worn down with attacks that may come, but as we gather together we are refreshed and reminded that God is there with us. We can therefore cease from distressing for He is, “Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining.”

But not only is God with us, in Him we can know victory. Valerius calls Him, “Thou Leader Triumphant.” Our “Leader Triumphant” then shares that victory with us so that we are, as Paul says, “More than conquerors.” (Romans 8:37)

God has called us together to worship Him, to refresh our souls and to build up one another. Let us not forsake coming together, rather may we join our hearts as one, praying for His blessings, thanking Him that He will not leave us and declaring His praise to all who will hear. And so we pray, Lord “Thy name be ever praised.”

 

 

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Thank We All Our God

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Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Words by Martin Rinkart, 1636
Music by Johann Cruger, 1647

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven
Lamentations 3:41

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:16

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:8

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22

 

From the time we are young our parents taught us to say, Thank you. These two simple words communicate so much. When we receive something, a gift, a compliment, a favor, we say it. It is a way of expressing appreciation for things we receive.

But more often than not it seems to simply be an after thought.  Something we casually throw out because it is the cultural norm.  We don’t stop to think about what we are saying, so in the end it has not real meaning. But then there are those time, though they may be few and far between, that the words are genuine and heart-felt.  They do not come close to relaying the gratitude that is felt and so their meaning carries a profound depth. This is the theme of Martin Rinkart’s, “Now Thank We All Our God.”

Starting with the opening line of the hymn, “Now thank we all our God,” we are drawn in to see our need to express thankfulness to God. We “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” (Psalm 118:1) We give thanks for what He has done. A thankfulness that is not simply expressed in words but comes from our full being. So Rinkart writes, “with heart and hands and voices.” reflecting the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:41 where we read, “Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven.”

Yes, we are to express our deepest gratitude to him. Gratitude to a God “who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices.” We rejoice in God, “who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way. With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.” He has always and will always be there. He alone is our source of joy and true hope.

When we honestly stop to reflect, there is so much that God has given us for which we are grateful. When we stop to realize this, we cannot help but pray that His blessings do not end. This is why Rinkart writes, “O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us.” We pray that God will not leave us and we can rest confidently in the knowledge that, “he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

So we thank God for all he has done. We thank Him for his blessings. We thank him that he will always remain near to us. We lift our voice up to him with “All praise and thanks to God the Father . . . The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven.

 

 

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Count Your Blessings

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When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Words by Johnson Oatman Jr., 1897
Music by Edwin O. Excell,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
Ephesians 1:3 – 6

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. . .
The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies . . .
The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” . . .
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 118: 1, 7, 14 – 16, 29

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matthew 6:20

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s
Psalm 103:2 – 5

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
Psalm 105:1 – 5

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:29 – 30

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the LORD who has compassion on you. “O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones.…
Isaiah 54:10-12

 

Anyone who has ever worked a job in retail, purchasing or a stock room is probably familiar with the idea of inventory.  I used to maintain a parts room for a maintenance shop and part of my job included verifying how many items we had on the shelf and tracking what went in and out.

Now as much work as that may have seemed, it was nothing when compared to one of my wife’s previous jobs.  She worked for a truck dealership and once a year they would set aside days to physically count every part in stock, no matter how small or insignificant. And this was not simply those who dealt with the parts, but it included everyone who worked for the company.  They did this because they realized it was important.  It was the only way to know what they really had

Taking inventory is key to knowing what you have and is the theme of Johnson Oatman Jr.”s “Count Your Blessings.”  Now most of us have probably heard this hymn, and yes the tune can seem a little dated/cheesy (especially when done at a higher tempo) but the theme is solid.

The first stanza reads, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve been there.  Those times when everything seems to be going wrong.  Times when you don’t know what to do and it seems you can not keep your head above water. I have found that it is at these times when this theme can be pivotal in standing against the storm. To know that you have someone to fall back onto.

He goes on to write in the second Stanza, “Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?” The reality is that the tempest come in many forms. Sometime they come not simply through your hardships, but in your responsibilities.  Who has not hit that wall before in their life.  Working hard and doing your job the best you can, just to get worn thin and find yourself at the point of saying, “I can’t do it anymore. It’s just too much.”   It is at this point that counting our blessing can remind us that we are not alone, that Christ is right there with us.

In the third stanza he writes, “When you look at others with their lands and gold.” Envy is a dangerous thing.  You see when we simply look at how much everyone else has, it is so easy for us to forget what we have.  We should not have our focus on others, but on the blessings God has given us.  When our focus is on our blessings, then the things others have begin to seem not so shiny.

Now, whether you believe it or not, God has given blessings to both you and me.  Ephesians 1:3 tells us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Now I can not begin to list all these blessings, and many of them are different for each of us. They might be friends, they might family, they might be physical, they might be spiritual. As I said, this list could go on and on.

If we look at Psalm 103:2 – 5 we read, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  Understand that I am certainly not saying that this is and exhaustive or definitive list.  Rather, it list some of the basic blessing God grants to those who follow him.

Yes, if we are truly honest we will see that we have been blessed in so many different ways. We need not surrender to despair.  So the hymn reminds us that “amid the conflict whether great or small, Do not be disheartened, God is over all.” So take some time to “Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

 

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This Our Hymn of Grateful Praise

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For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the martyrs’ crown of light,
For Thy prophets’ eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors’ might,
For the lips of infancy.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy virgins’ robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

Words by Folliot S. Peirpoint, 1864
Music by Conrad Kocher, 1838

 

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1 – 4

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
Matthew 13:15 – 16

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
Ephesians 6:19

 

Everybody loves getting a present.  To have someone surprise you with something new and unexpected.  It may be something you always wanted or it may be something that you had not thought of purchasing for yourself. In either case, it is something that someone went out of their way to get for you.

The other side is true as well.  Most people like to give gifts.  We love to see the surprise on a person’s face.  We love to see the excitement in their eyes.

Unfortunately there are exceptions to these situations.  This is usually the result of the attitude of those involved.  When we give a gift out of obligation, that is to say only because it is expected it takes the meaning out of it.  Or when the person is ungrateful, the joy and excitement is lost.

Yes, we are to accept gifts gratefully.  When we honestly stop to look at what has been given and the person behind the gift, being grateful is only the natural response.  This is the call that is presented to us in Folliot Peirpoint’s hymn “For The Beauty of the Earth.”

From the very beginning, Peirpoint presents us not simply with a command to be grateful, but reasons why we should be grateful.  He writes, “For the beauty of the Earth, For the glory of the skies.”  If we will simply look around us at the splendor of the world God has created we will see a reason to be grateful.  In fact, to not express our gratitude for creation, puts us behind the rest of creation for Psalm 19:1 – 4 tells us the nature itself expresses the majesty of God. It reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

The hymn goes on to declare, “For the beauty of each hour, Of the day and of the night.” This echoes the theme of Ecclesiastes 3:11 where we read, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” God’s beauty is revealed in time as he continues to bring forth the beauty of life.

Peirpoint continues by writing, “For the joy of ear and eye, For the heart and mind’s delight.” This draws our minds to the words of Jesus in Matthew 13:15 – 16 where we read, “they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” Through the senses He has given us, we not only experience His creation, but we may know him.

But not only through nature or through the senses He has given us, He has revealed himself through those who declare His gospel.  The hymn reads, “For Thy prophets’ eagle eye, For Thy bold confessors’ might.” Yes, God has spoken through those who declare His word. So Paul writes in Ephesians 6:9, “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

Over and over again, Peirpoint presents us with reason that we have to be Grateful.  God has given so much and revealed the love that dwells within His heart.  When we stop to realize the gifts He has given, then we can not help but rise and proclaim, “our hymn of grateful praise.”

 

 

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