What an opportunity Seventh-day Adventists have on this Thanksgiving Day, 2021!  Many celebrate this wonderful holiday as they do Christmas, but we then give up the opportunity to help others not so blessed that they might know there is a God of great love. We may take advantage of the opportunity given to us to give thanks to Him who gave all that we might live. How much have we been given? Contemplate the multitude of blessings including all of the answered prayers. Bless the LORD, O my soul!!

Nearly the whole of Thanksgiving day, November 29, was spent in church. Our morning meeting was one of special interest. In a cheerful

Let every one who has tasted of the love of God praise Him

testimony every one had a thank-offering to present to God. In the forenoon we had a Bible-reading on the subject of thanksgiving, and it was clearly shown from the Scriptures that it is our duty to glorify God by offering thanks and praise. This was a most precious season. All were instructed and reproved; for repining at the dealings of God has been almost continual, while gratitude and praise had been seldom expressed and little cherished in the heart. Many confessed that they had cherished doubt and distrust, and had reaped as they had sown; and as they expressed a resolution to reform in this particular, I reminded them that when pretexts for dissatisfaction are presented, we are to say, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” Let every one who has tasted of the love of God praise him for his goodness to the children of men. In this let every soul be whole-hearted and sincere.

It is a great cause of gratitude that we understand the nature of this day better than we once did. It is not designed to minister to our selfish gratification in the enjoyment of every luxury because God has bestowed upon us the rich bounties of his providence; on the contrary, we are to recall his mercies, and to meditate upon his favors with thankful hearts. To devote this day to gluttony, and our time and strength to the preparation of rich and expensive dishes, thus tempting our families and friends to gorge themselves, instead of offering thanksgiving to God, is the basest idolatry of self; for it is perverting the very best gifts of Heaven to the indulgence of appetite. Many thus lay the foundation for disease and premature death, and furnish Satan an occasion for hellish exultation.

I could not let this opportunity to invite sinners to Jesus pass unimproved. I wanted all who had not previously done so to present themselves a thank-offering to Him who has made so costly an offering for them. Oh, matchless love! Oh, precious, precious offering in our behalf, that we might have eternal life! In response to the invitation, about thirty came forward, including some who had backslidden from God, and quite a number who were seeking him for the first time. What a precious thank-offering to Jesus was this! He himself says, “Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” There was indeed cause for rejoicing when the news was borne to heaven that on Thanksgiving day, November 29, 1883, at South Lancaster, Mass., souls were deserting the black banner of Satan, and taking their position beneath the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel. In imagination I could hear the response of praise, as angels told the glad news that these precious souls had entered into covenant with God to obey him as dear children, and that their names were enrolled in the Lamb’s book of life. What a victory was this for Christ, and what a disappointment for Satan!

Our meeting closed about two o’clock, and we then took ample refreshments; but we had no time to devote to the preparation of extra dishes.

It is the best Thanksgiving Day

We were having a feast of fat things; we were eating of the Bread of Heaven, and drinking rich draughts from the well of Bethlehem. Jesus graced the feast with his royal presence, and our hearts were joyful in him. The testimonies borne by our brethren and sisters were full of courage and gratitude to God; and their verdict was, “Oh, what a Thanksgiving day this has been! It is the best Thanksgiving day I ever experienced!”  Review and Herald; January 15, 1884.

Israel is an example for us whom the ends of the world is come. Take time to consider the blessings extended to the children of Abraham over 2,000 years. And then remember what was their end. They were indeed a people who thought they were rich and increased with goods, but knew not they were miserable, wretched, poor, blind, and naked. God is long-suffering towards the children of men. Finally after they had put to death the Son of God,  the nation of Israel was forever cut off.

Today, modern Israel has not learned the lesson wherein Israel fell and was cut off. We are to call all who love the Lord our God with their whole heart out of the fallen churches that they may receive the blessings God wants to impart. But, He does not work mightily to bring in all who are seeking truth, for many, if they were to come into our churches, would see hypocrisy and leave never more to return. Unlike Israel, modern day Israel will see revival and reformation and prepare a people to receive Jesus at His soon coming.

Now take time to listen to the opportunity Israel had to take advantage of the blessings of God, but instead soon forgot all God had done for them. From the mouth of Nehemiah, the Word of God to Israel then, and today.

 9:1   Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. 
 9:2   And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 
 9:3   And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God [one] fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God. 
 9:4   Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, [and] Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God. 
 9:5   Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up [and] bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. 
 9:6   Thou, [even] thou, [art] LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all [things] that [are] therein, the seas, and all that [is] therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. 
 9:7   Thou [art] the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; 
 9:8   And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give [it, I say], to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou [art] righteous: 
 9:9   And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; 
 9:10   And showedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as [it is] this day. 
 9:11   And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. 
 9:12   Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. 
 9:13   Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: 
 9:14   And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: 
 9:15   And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. 
 9:16   But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, 
 9:17   And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou [art] a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. 
 9:18   Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; 
 9:19   Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go. 
 9:20   Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. 
 9:21   Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, [so that] they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. 
 9:22   Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. 
 9:23   Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess [it]. 
 9:24   So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would. 
 9:25   And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. 
 9:26   Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. 
 9:27   Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. 
 9:28   But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them

Thou art a gracious and merciful God

according to thy mercies; 
 9:29   And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. 
 9:30   Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. 
 9:31   Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou [art] a gracious and merciful God. 
 9:32   Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 
 9:33   Howbeit thou [art] just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: 
 9:34   Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. 
 9:35   For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. 
 9:36   Behold, we [are] servants this day, and [for] the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we [are] servants in it: 
 9:37   And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we [are] in great distress. 
 9:38   And because of all this we make a sure [covenant], and write [it]; and our princes, Levites, [and] priests, seal [unto it]. 
 
We have another message from Jesus, one of great hope that if allowed into our hearts will prove a blessing that when followed will bring eternal life with Jesus for eternity.
 

I stand at the door, and knock

"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." 

Like with Israel of Old, God has been patient with us. Time after time has He not blessed us when we do not deserve such blessings? Today, we may bless the One who gave all for us.  When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for all which He hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God.

 

Bless the LORD, O my soul

103:1   Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. 
 103:2   Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 
 103:3   Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 
 103:4   Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 
 103:5   Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 
 103:6   The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 
 103:7   He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. 
 103:8   The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 
 103:9   He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. 
 103:10   He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 
 103:11   For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. 
 103:12   As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. 

Like as a father pitieth His children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him

 103:13   Like as a father pitieth His children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him. 
 103:14   For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. 
 103:15   As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 
 103:16   For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 
 103:17   But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children; 
 103:18   To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them. 
 103:19   The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 
 103:20   Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word. 
 103:21   Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure. 
 103:22   Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.