A Heart of Gratitude. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leviticus 23:22; James 1:17; 2nd<\/sup> Corinthians 5:20<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanksgiving has always been a warm and heartfelt season of the year regardless of the temperature outside. It is a time when we all come together, whether with family, friends or with our brothers and sister in Christ for a time of fellowship and gathering. For just a brief moment as we come together the world outside and around us will dissipate as we enjoy the company of those who we will share and celebrate this Thanksgiving with. All of which we should do with those whom we love and share a common bond of faith and love with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In years past, decades, centuries and millennia ago during this time of year celebrations would be centered around the fall harvest. The last crop of the year before the ground would lay dormant until the arrival of the Spring harvest season. And the festivities of course would be centered around a general attitude of thankfulness<\/em> for the bounty of the harvest. And this spirit of thankfulness<\/em> would in turn be celebrated with the community in which one lived; hardly the way in which we find ourselves celebrating today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although we don\u2019t have to reap the harvest of the fields, thresh the grain or anything else that comes with storing what has been gleaned from the fields. Instead, we will spend this day with our family and friends which we should. And as you celebrate this year allow me to give you two things to remember and share as you all come together. First, we should be thankful for all the Lord God has blessed us with throughout this year. Regardless of all the bad the devils throws in our way with all the good that we have seen or experienced. Nonetheless God has blessed us through it all; giving us what we needed throughout the year in His provision to overcome all the bad. That, above all else, is all the more reason to celebrate His goodness as it has come down to us (James 1:17). And so secondly, take the time to remember those who have no one to celebrate with, or a warm place in which to celebrate with others, be the provision that God wants to give them too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanksgiving has become a time of reflection of all that God has blessed us with throughout the year. I would challenge all of you this Thanksgiving to allow yourself to be used of God to allow His blessing to reach those that are in need. The Lord reminds us \u201cWhen you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.\u201d (Leviticus 23:22; NLT). As God saw fit to meet the needs of the poor and the foreigners then, so to allow Him to reach them today through your obedience to Him as you celebrate what He has blessed you with. Let His provision for you continue to flow into the lives of the less fortunate. In doing this you give them cause to celebrate and give thanks <\/em>\u00a0and to be thankful<\/em> alongside you this Thanksgiving season for all that God desires to give to all of His creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t let His blessing\u2019s stop with you, let His bounty reach everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Happy Thanksgiving from Marsh Grove Community Church!<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Heart of Gratitude. Leviticus 23:22; James 1:17; 2nd Corinthians 5:20 Thanksgiving has always been a warm and heartfelt season of the year regardless of the temperature outside. It is a time when we all come together, whether with family, friends or with our brothers and sister in Christ for a time of fellowship and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marsh-grove-community-church"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t