October 5 we celebrate our annual Thanksgiving Day. Not just by tradition but with joy we are  looking  forward to this special event every year. It is and remains one of the greatest feast in the House of God.

On Pentecost this year the Chief Apostle added to the 2014 resolution  “LABOUR IN LOVE” also the quotation from Acts 20:36

“IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE”

A meaningful combination indeed: “Laboring in love because it is more blessed to give” This blessedness to give, above any blessing to receive shall be our governing line of thought also when we celebrate this year’s feast of Thanksgiving.

Trusting in our Heavenly Father prompts us to pray and our faith of course has desires. We would like our God to give us favors, to help us and even to change circumstances for our benefit. Children have the right to do so and our childlike faith has many expectations.

Another year has passed and we did get much. God’s Grace has not ceased, His blessing was in many ways evident, even though not all might have materialized as expected, yet still, it is now also up to us to show THANKFULNESS.

Thanksgiving is what offerings are all about. We cannot buy blessing. We shall not expect that the Lord owes us something. We owe Him to be thankful and thankfulness is shown in our appreciation, in giving and such is blessed more. It is an attitude which shall be a firm foundation in our heart. That is what God looks at. The heart, the inner man.

“…for the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”  1. Samuel 16:7)

As men we maybe look at the material value of the offering, the money and what it is worth for buying earthly value. Yet the Heavenly Father does not look at that however the heart’s disposition with what it is was given. Men would have many excuses and explanations which for sure would have a valid point. It is not what the Lord looks at.

The Lord does not need our offering, the Church organization needs the funds to operate that shall be honestly admitted,  yet also here God looks at the Love for His work for which an offering is given. That is a matter of the heart’s attitude. How much do we take the services of the Church for granted?

Thanksgiving offering is as old as mankind. Offerings were important in the time of Abel and Cain, that was very early in time. Who told them?  Their inner being, their heart has inspired them.  Yet Abel was respected but the countenance of Cain has fallen. Bible shows many other such examples.

In the temple they were buying and selling offerings. It angered Jesus. At another occasion Jesus sat in the temple and watched the offerings. He sided with the humble not with the proud. With Ananias and Sapphira it was also about an offering. They even lied for the sake of drawing attention of the Church on them.

Offerings are very personal. No one controls it. The Lord looks at the heart.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY