And in that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples;
Make them remember that His name is exalted” Isaiah 12:4( NASB).

Thanksgiving is a time to remember what God has done for us. We are reminded that God is with us and has blessed us in our Christian walk. Often, our prayer life is filled with requests for others and for ourselves, but we need to remember to give thanks for what God has already done. Also, we should be thankful that He hears us, and we should praise Him just because he is God.

Holidays and ceremonies were in place to help God’s people remember what God had done for the preservation of the nation of Israel. To remember how God fought to free the people from slavery in ancient Egypt. The Jewish people needed to remember how God brought the people back to their homeland and out of Babylon. We need to remember how God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bring us out of slavery and the bondage of sin.

Really, to be thankful is just a polite thing to do. But Isaiah tells us to not only be thankful, but to tell someone about what God has done. We are to “make known His deeds among the peoples.” Note that the word peoples is plural. Not only should we give testimony to those in our own community, but to everyone. In Isaiah, we read, “The nations will resort to the root of Jesse,” Jesus, reaches out to all nations,” Isaiah 11:10a (NASB). Then in Isaiah 55, we read, “Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not, will run to you, Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” (Isaiah 55:5(NASB).

Clearly, Israel was to be a witness to all nations for the works of God. God does not change. That mission now is the mission of the Church. Matthew 28:19 tells us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

As we express our gratitude to God for His blessings, let us share about Him so that His name may be exalted.

God Bless You!

Pastor Scott – CBC Executive Board