What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord. I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the Lord. (Offertory)

 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This sounds like what we sing right before the Lord's Supper. Yes, it is the Offertory. Which is a portion of Psalm 116. Thanksgiving to God. For our God loves to give and He gives to us over and over again.

 

Thanksgiving is drawing near. It is great to set aside a day to give thanks to God for all that He gives. But not only once a year. Everyday--giving thanks to God for all the 1st Article gifts He gives to us. The gift of creation. The oxygen we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat--our daily bread. The turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. How to receive these gifts of God? We pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it, and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. (4th Petition) These 1st Article gifts showered upon us to support our body and life are enough to give thanks to God each day of our life.

But God does not stop giving. God gives us the greatest gift of all in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, for you. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son. (John 3) Jesus comes down out of heaven. What does Christ do? Jesus gives over and over again. Jesus gives sight to the blind, He makes the deaf to hear, He makes the lame to walk, and Jesus raises the dead.

 

Jesus comes to take as well. Jesus comes to take your sin. All sin--past--present--and future--all your sins, Jesus takes them all for you. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1)  Jesus takes our sins--to Calvary--to hang them on the Tree in His body--to put our sins to death. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2) Jesus death and resurrection are for you. Rejoice, give thanks for God's eternal love for you.

 

How to say thanks? By the power of the Holy Spirit poured into you in Holy Baptism. With thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3)

 

This thanksgiving--give thanks for all that the Lord has blessed you with. But most especially give thanks for the gift of God’s Son--Jesus Christ--for you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 107) In Name + of Jesus.  Amen.

 

Pastor Berndt

 

652 Father, We Thank Thee (verse 1)

Father, we thank Thee who hast planted Thy holy name within our hearts.

Knowledge and faith and life immortal Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.

Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure, Didst give us food for all our days,

Giving in Christ the Bread eternal; Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.