Devotion
Psalm 95: 1-7a, Revelation 14: 1-11
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving” Psalm 95: 2a (NRSV)
When I hear the word “thanksgiving,” I immediately think of the American holiday celebrated every November—Thanksgiving with a capital T. Thanksgiving reminds me of my grandma and the happy holidays spent at her house as a child, eating her delicious homemade meals and playing board games with her and my cousins.
Although I often give thanks to God, whether on my own, with my family, or during corporate worship, I rarely hear the word “thanksgiving” used without the capital letter. I try to thank God frequently for my blessings, but this verse from Psalm 95 puts a different emphasis on it. Usually I am giving thanks wherever I happen to be: in the car, at school, at home, at church. In other words, I interrupt what I’m doing, say my prayer of thanks, and then go back to whatever task or conversation I was previously involved in.
What this verse invites us to do instead, is to slow down, stop the other distractions, and make an obvious entrance into the presence of God. And not just come-as-you-are into His presence. Come with an attitude of thanksgiving. Come with a heart bursting with gratitude for each and every blessing we have received. God the Father sacrificed his only Son for us. As we come into His presence this Thanksgiving, let us strive to approach Him with hearts full of thanksgiving.
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