A Harvest of Thankful Hearts
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10
I never want to take for granted all that God has blessed me with. The words of King David in Psalm 51:10 have led me to begin asking the Lord for these specific attributes:
“Create in me a thankful heart, O God…and renew a spirit of gratitude within me.”
As Thanksgiving drew near this year, I started thinking about how we can be more intentional with “thank-full” traditions around the table on this day that is typically all about “stuffing” ourselves.
Saying a prayer before our Thanksgiving meal has always been a part of our family’s habit -- usually with all of us holding hands in a circle while one person speaks aloud the Blessing. The prayer is usually short and sweet, so as not to delay satisfying our hungry, growwwwling bellies! Then, we fill our plates with turkey and all the yummy fixings.
In times past we’ve made our way around the table, having each person share 3 things they are thankful for. As our kids are growing older, I’m aware that it’s more important than ever not to let this tradition fall by the wayside. Every practice that we steward, big or small, to encourage thoughtfulness and foster gratitude is planting seeds of good fruit in the hearts of ourselves and our children.
Beyond what we are grateful for, there is Who has provided it. The Word of God tells us in James 1:17: “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” In our haste of saying a quick prayer before a meal, or naming a few things or people we’re glad we have in our lives, how much time do we really take to acknowledge and express love to our Father in heaven who rains down His abundant blessings on us every day of the year?
It’s time to add a new tradition to our Thanksgiving gathering. Along with our pre-meal prayer and sharing 3 things we’re thankful for, this year our table is being set with “placecards of praise.” I’ve spent some time searching out Scriptures that not only give thanks to God, but also give Him our PRAISE! Here are some examples of verses I’ve printed for place settings that will be read aloud by each person as we go around the table:
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.
-Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to You, LORD,
with all my heart; I will tell of
Your wonderful deeds.
-Psalm 9:1
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
-Psalm 100:4
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Phillipians 4:6-7
Matthew 12:34 tells us, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” I pray that these seeds of a new tradition at our Thanksgiving table grow into a harvest of thankful hearts! Amen.
