The "Giving" Behind Thanksgiving

As I processed yet another Thanksgiving holiday I found myself having so so much to be thankful for this year. God has poured out His blessings in ways I couldn't even imagine. And even though the enemy would love for me to focus on the storms that brew up in my life, I would rather just let each day be "Thanksgiving".
I titled this blog "The "Giving" Behind Thanksgiving" because I think we tend to forget that "Thanksgiving" is a word...not just a holiday that happens once a year. It is an attitude we should live in, and it is a the perfect way to defeat the enemy on a daily basis. Again, the enemy is constantly trying to kick up little storms every single day of your life. Some of those you can quickly avoid and some you just have to rely on God to see you through. But when you can praise and thank your way through a storm you are removing the power that satan wants to have over you. Perspective goes a long way in your walk with God. And it really comes down to where you choose to place your focus...on the bad, or on the good? Yes, each of us are going to go through bad times, trials and pain because as I have stated many times before, we live in a corrupted and sinful world. And even though the enemy can throw situations at us, he can't control whether we allow them to consume us or not. That choice is up to you.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 God's word tells us "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you". In Philippians 4:6 is says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God". And in Psalms 7:17 we read "I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High". Do you see the common theme here.....Give Thanks! Again and again we are instructed to give thanks to God. Thank Him for His goodness. Thank Him for His gift of Jesus. Thank Him for His righteousness. Praise Him in ALL times. We must maintain this attitude because it IS this attitude that defeats the plans of the enemy. We do not thank God because the circumstances look good. We do not praise Him only when the diagnosis looks good. We do not honor Him only when life is going in our favor. Not matter what is going on around you, Jesus still came and died on a cross to make a way for us to be in fellowship with our creator, and that is plenty enough reason to praise and thank Him. When we can adopt this attitude in our life then the rest of the things that are stated in those verses will take place. We will not be anxious, we can make our requests known to God, and we can keep joy in our heart in the midst of any storm. Why.....because we know WHO has us, not what has us. When the enemy wrecks your day using circumstances then for that moment those circumstances had you....not God. But when you can look at your circumstances (and the enemy) and say "this might not be exactly what I desire in my life right now, but I trust God to see me through this" then you are CRUSHING the enemy under your heals using God's peace. Yes, under your feet! Romans 16:20 says "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you".
So if you are tired of feeling defeated and beat down by satan, then start fighting back using God's peace, God's joy and your own thankful heart. If God's word instructs us to do this then there is great purpose in it. Jesus Christ came to set us free....that freedom is from the chains and bondage of sin in this world....but it is also freedom from thinking that way the world thinks (Galatians 5:1). Today, and every day, can be "Thanksgiving" for you...and the blessings and attitude change that come from that can create a new joy in your heart. If you don't think so, test it and see.
God, thank You for Your goodness, thank You for Your grace and mercy that we are so undeserving of, and thank You for that blessings that You pour out on us each and every day. Help us to see the things we should be thankful for first...not our problems. And let the joy and peace that You put in our hearts crush the enemy and his plans. Then let that peace and joy be contagious to those we come in contact with as we shine Your light out into the world. In Jesus name, Amen