Thanksgiving: Learning to Understand God's Blessings

A number of countries in North America and other parts of the world celebrate Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Historically, on Thanksgiving people celebrate the end of the harvest season and give thanks for God's blessings.

Even though Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday, through this celebration we can learn to understand God's blessings in our lives, both visible and invisible.

Do we measure life by seasons of a ‘harvest of blessings’ or a ‘drought of blessings’? Do we think God is able, and willing, not to bless our lives? Perhaps we have heard the opinion, or personally thought, that we must diligently go to church so that we can receive many blessings.

Is that really true?

A lot of worship / serving / praying = a lot of blessings?

I once understood blessing as nothing more than material wealth. My principle at that time was that if I were rich, it would mean I had higher self-worth and would be more recognized. I thought that by diligently going to church, praying, fasting, serving, paying tithes, God would bless me many times over.

Armed with that way of thinking, I then strategized to get many blessings. Convinced that God would give back more than what I sacrificed. I felt I believed in a God who could never be indebted to me.

Yet, if I place my confidence in God, shouldn't it mean that I do not need to measure blessings because He surely will bless?

“He provides food for those who fear Him. He remembers His covenant forever.” – Psalm 111:5

How do we see God's blessings?

I then reflected, was I doing spiritual activities because I wanted blessings, or because of who God is to me? Did I truly realize God's love, or was I focused only on the material gifts He gives?

No wonder I became a selfish person, without love, arrogant, feeling always right, and worthy to receive salvation, even though my life was full of sin.

In the end, my question changed to: How worthy am I to demand that God bless my life?

I am grateful that God gave me a friend who gently guided me in Bible Study. Through that friend, I realized that God blesses me in many ways:

1. Physical Blessings

“But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the power to gain wealth …” – Deuteronomy 8:18a

Do not take lightly the ‘small’ things you have. Often we become so used to receiving something that we forget to be thankful. It may be that what we have is deeply longed for by others who must struggle desperately to obtain it.

Our talents, health, family, spouse, job, good friends, protection on our journeys, a home to shelter in, the clothes we wear, the food we are able to buy, all of these are wealth (Deuteronomy 8:11-20). Be thankful for them, and realize that we have them because it is God who gives them to us.

2. Spiritual Blessings

The good news (the gospel) of Christ that we have received is an extraordinary blessing. Salvation, wisdom, and understanding to comprehend God's words are also blessings beyond price in our lives.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven.” – Ephesians 1:3

Besides that, as disciples, we will know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

Then His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” – Matthew 13:10-11

3. Blessings in Suffering

It is easy for us to give thanks when we are in a harvest of blessings, but what about when that season of drought comes?

In the story of Job, the devil came to God and accused Job. With God's permission, Job was tested with severe suffering. All his children and possessions vanished, Job fell into poverty, was cast aside, and lost many friends. Yet Job did not lose faith. Seeing that, what did God do?

“The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former; he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys.” – Job 42:12

From Bad News Becoming Good News

After becoming a Christian, my life was still full of struggle. Not only for success in this world, but also in spiritual life against sin and weakness.

My comfort zone was disturbed. Limping along, I practiced, and even nearly gave up, carrying the cross and denying myself (Matthew 8:34), and loving others (Philippians 2:3-4). As a result, I was avoided by many friends, considered self-righteous, and not a few looked down on my repentance. Yet all those hardships brought me to a true knowledge of God and purified my heart (Peter 1:6-7).

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man cannot discover anything about his future.” – Ecclesiastes 7:14 1

So, suffering or bad news is one of God's tools to give us good news. To grow our faith and so that we draw near to Him. So that we realize that all our achievements happen because of God's strength. Suffering is a means of God's blessing in the midst of our struggle as disciples.

So, every time you feel that God is not blessing your life, count your physical blessings, spiritual blessings, and even blessings in your suffering. Then reflect: “How worthy am I to demand that God bless my life?”

If you still feel anxious about God's presence with you, remember: “My God will meet all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19.

Amen!