---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 11/26/2008 6:00:21 PM
Subject: Celebrating Thanksgiving

Dear People who Keep Company with God,

The Thanksgiving holiday is unique in that we are not celebrating any particular significant event like the other holidays. It is a time to celebrate the goodness of God. There is a story that comes from Benjamin Franklin's childhood. I do not know if it is true, but the story illustrates truth about being thankful. Ben noticed a daily routine that went on in their household. His mother would take meat from a barrel where it had been salted and stored, cut off enough for that day, slice it, cook it and serve it to the family. Everyone would gather around the table, bow their heads and Ben's father would offer thanks to the Lord. "Father," the future genius one day said, "I have a suggestion. Instead of giving thanks for the little portion of the meat we consume each day, why not give God thanks for the entire barrel of meat at one time?"

This story illustrates that the human heart apart from the Holy Spirit views thankfulness as a duty rather than the blessing it truly is. We try to cram all our thanksgiving into one day a year and are done with it until next year. It also reveals how easy it is to dismiss the small things that God does for each one of us every day only being thankful when something big happens or things are going well.

Many of us do not realize that thanksgiving actually enables faith to grow. People of great faith are always thankful people. Years ago I had a vision of a greenhouse with different varieties of healthy plants in it. I noticed that the plants had tags identifying the type of plant each was. As I began to read the tags I realized they were all faith plants; saving faith, the fruit of faith, gift of faith, faith to move mountains, healing faith, etc. As I was reading the tags I heard a voice say, "Thankfulness provides the atmosphere for faith to grow." The atmosphere inside the green house was nothing like I had ever experienced. Paul told the Colossians, "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." Colossians 2:6-7

One of the greatest revelations from the scripture that God has given me concerning accessing the spiritual realm has to do with being thankful. The scripture reveals that our mind is the doorway to the supernatural. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."Romans 1:21. The word speculation means imagination, reasoning and thought. It is what goes on in our mind. When we stop being thankful then our mind becomes futile, which means without purpose. What follows is a darkened heart, meaning our desires and actions become dark. Thankfulness helps hold the door open to God's influence in our minds and hearts.

Not only will thanksgiving help us access the spiritual realm it will also keep our hearts and minds from being overcome by the trouble and sorrow we have in this world. The world, our own flesh and the devil are constantly assaulting our minds and hearts with feelings and thoughts. It is important to understand these thoughts and feelings are not always ours, but become ours when we accept and agree with them. Thankfulness releases the peace of God to us which enables us to be able to discern the author of the thoughts and feelings. When your inward peace is upset you know to take that thought or feeling captive. Do not accept it. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Many Blessings, BW