Why do we say “Happy Thanksgiving”?  Have you ever thought about that?  Is it really “happy”?  For some reading this, “happy” is not a word that sits at the forefront of your current situation.  How do you go up to someone who just lost a loved one and say “Happy Thanksgiving”?  Maybe someone has just lost their job due to all that is going on and you say “Happy Thanksgiving”?  Maybe there is a mom or dad with children who has a spouse that just walked out on the family and is celebrating their own “Happy Thanksgiving” with their new family.  Maybe you are discouraged or even battling depression and you are wondering how you can put one foot in front of the other let alone go on in life.  Maybe your child has gone missing. “Happy Thanksgiving”? Maybe you just received word that the pain that you have been feeling in your abdomen is cancer and that this is the last “Happy Thanksgiving” that you will be celebrating here on earth.  It seems sort of cruel to say those words to someone who finds themselves in a similar situation.

There are those who will not celebrate this day because as they have researched the history of Thanksgiving Day, they have discovered that this day was celebrated after the slaughter of tens of thousand of native Americans.  There are those who gather near Plymouth Rock every year on this day to declare a “National Day of Mourning” because of what happened in the early days between the settlers and the natives.  Why is this a “Happy Thanksgiving”?

I did a little research and discovered a little bit more about the history of Thanksgiving Day in American history.  In 1789, George Washington proclaimed “a national day of public thanksgiving and thanks” to thank God for His protection.  Check out Washington’s proclamation:
“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, Who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be
-That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks
-for His kind care and protection of the People of the Country previous to their becoming a Nation…” 

Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863 when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving:
“As a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”

Two of our greatest American Presidents making declarations of thanksgiving in two of the darkest times of our country’s history.  Two very powerful men who realized and knew the power and goodness of Almighty God.  They are declaring that we ought to give thanks, so why would we not do that?

But does that make it a “Happy Thanksgiving”?  What does “happy” have to do with thanksgiving?  Is “happiness” a prerequisite for thanksgiving?  While it is good to hear the reason for our presidents declaring a national holiday, I want to look at what the Bible has to say about it.  A verse that I often reference concerning thanksgiving is found in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  This is the will of God for you and for me.  Pretty straight forward, isn’t it?  And yet it can be so difficult.  The passage does not say if you are happy rejoice…pray…and give thanks. Paul seems to be writing this to the Thessalonians who find themselves in what seems to be internal strife.  If you look at the previous verses (vv.12-15) you will learn that there was probably a lack of peace between the brethren; there were people who were lazy; there were people who were discouraged; there were people who were impatient; and there were people who were getting even because of an offense. Do you suppose that the Thessalonians were happy about all of this?  NO!  But Paul tells them to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in the midst of this mess.  

My next thought was “so what am I to be thankful for?” What is the driving force behind this thankfulness?  Psalm 100 is a Psalm for giving thanks.  Check it out:
“Make a joyful noise to the LORD all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” 
Why give thanks?  
-He is God
-He made us
-We are His
-He has given us pasture to provide and give us rest
-He is good
-His steadfast love endures forever
-He is faithful
Take a few minutes and allow that to soak in.  Think about the truth of that in your own life.  As you do, were they always times of happiness?  No, in fact some of the times when those truths were very real to me were in very dark times.  We do not give thanks based on my feelings or circumstances.  The character of God is not altered by my circumstances.  He remains God in the midst of my circumstances and He remains worthy of my praise.

Allow me to share some other verses with you:
Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.”  The shield might indicate that protection was needed.  Trust indicates that things were happening that David did not understand.
Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,” Heaven is ours!  Did you get that?  Heaven is yours!
2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift.” Jesus is that gift.

Happy Thanksgiving??? Yes, I think so. There is a verse that is tucked away in Isaiah 52:7 that brings me tremendous encouragement.  The verse reads:  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” This verse is telling me that my feet are blessed, and your feet can be blessed too, as we bring the good news, the Gospel to people.  It will bring peace and it will bring salvation. It is news of  happiness, because the sum of all things is that your God reigns.  When that becomes reality in your own life you will be able to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances.  My hope and prayer is that this good news that I have shared with you this morning will make your day of thanksgiving a happy day. 

Happy Thanksgiving !!!