HORN OF PLENTY-TO-BE-THANKFUL-FOR

Thanksgiving—yes, it's “cornucopia” time, with the cone-shaped decor stuffed with leaves and autumn leaves or fruits brought out of storage for this season. So named for its cone shape (duh!), some sources say its use dates even to the Bronze Age (3300-1200 B.C.). Back then, of course, it had nothing to do with “Thanksgiving” as we know it. Instead, “cornucopias” were broken off-animal horns.

The name derives from the Latin cornu (for “horn”) and copia (for “plenty”). Word-origin tales include two from Greek mythology. One says the baby Zeus accidentally broke off the horn of a goat that nursed him. As the tale goes, the horn provided divine, unending nourishment. The other myth concerns Zeus's offspring Hercules, who broke off the horn of a river god. Somehow in the detours that myths take, the “horn” became a symbol of an abundant harvest.

Fast track through more history, and the Vikings, Germanic tribes, Celts and Romans began using horns as drinking utensils. Eventually man-crafted horn-like drinking vessels emerged, made of ivory and embellished with gold, silver and enamel. Out in the fields, the curved cone shape morphed into a strapped basket that hung from the shoulders of harvest workers. (I can just imagine its practicality for crops like grapes and other fruit.) Advance to our times, when the cornucopia is typically reserved for November decorations, filled with autumn leaves, nuts, miniature pumpkins and gourds.

So, yes, I dug out our decades-old cornucopia for display this November. I also recalled how for many years another November “tradition” at our home was a family “thankful box.” This was a square facial tissue box onto which I glued autumn-motif fabric. I put it on the table with scraps of paper and a pencil. All month, family members were to fill it with notes about what they were thankful for. On Thanksgiving evening, we emptied the “box” and read aloud the notes. It was a wonderful way to practice the scriptural admonition:

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. --1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV).

Alas, in our times, we rush through the “cornucopia” season to the buy-buy-buy season. The day after Thanksgiving is known as “black Friday” for the frantic search for holiday bargains ahead of Christmas. Such frenzy stands in contrast to the simple message that the cornucopia symbolizes. The best things aren't on sale racks. They're in the simple provision of daily sustenance that comes from the heart and hand of our generous God. Thanksgiving-time “thankfulness” should recalibrate our hearts for the December-celebrated, supreme reason for “thankfulness”: a Savior, Christ the Lord.

ENOUGH

I can't recall when this beleagured bird bath became a part of our yard. Perhaps it was a freebie somewhere because it already had a notch missing from its hard-plastic basin. But there's still enough of a “bowl” to hold bread crumbs, and when I get to the hard heel of a loaf, I usually break it in there. Within minutes, birds—typically sparrows—are feasting and spreading the word. It's almost amusing to watch the landings and departures escalate and then fade as the supply is picked clean.

Jesus noticed that, too, bringing a lesson recorded in Matthew 6 (The “Sermon on the Mount”):

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Although I've lived through lean times, when there wasn't much food on hand, I have never gone hungry. And in this season of “aging” and now being alone, I feel a kinship with the birds that swoop down for a few bread crumbs. It's not just about what's in my cupboards and refrigerator (I have plenty--and that includes the cookie jar with granola bars for growing grandboys), or what I pump into my car's gas tank. Or the wires going into my house for electricity, phone and internet, or the pipes that bring water and remove our sewage. I've always lived more simply, but do pause at times and thank the Lord for these conveniences.

More than that, I want more than enough of His love and assurance, of which He has an infinite supply. Paul reminded those who came to Christ through his ministry to make sure they were “givers” as well as “takers.” As someone living on “love offerings,” he never was sure of where his next meal would come from, or what Mediterranean culture where he preached would influence the menu!

I love how the book of Philippians ends with thanksgiving. Paul talks about contentment and generosity. Plus, how he learned that “our God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Not the wants (not a perpetually-full bird feeder) but the needs. There's a huge difference—a divine difference—between those extremes.

PURPOSED (Psalm 138)

We have lots of squirrels in our neighborhood, and they "squirrel" 

away their walnuts where I weed my flowers! This sprouted walnut

reminded me that if nuts have purpose (to make more nuts!), then

absolutely God is working out His purposes, even in places we can't see.

(Part of an ongoing series on the 48 psalms recommended for times of feeling "down,” from pastor-counselor David Seamand’s book, Healing for Damaged Emotions.)

I needed a miracle, that summer of 1980. I’d just finished a master’s degree and was job-hunting. I was nearly out of money. Part-time jobs like babysitting and filing had helped buy food. Within weeks I’d have to vacate college housing. Going “home” to my parents’ home—which would mean a trip from Illinois to Washington state--was no longer an option. They’d both died in 1978, and I’d spent a year cleaning out their home and on other death tasks. I left my car behind when I flew back to Chicago to finish my program, relying on Chicago’s public transportation to get around. My “out” was an offer from some older women roommates—one of them the college librarian who heard my story and reached out to me--to temporarily sleep on their couch.

One morning, despairing yet wanting to trust God as all-sufficient, I came across Psalm 138 in my devotional reading schedule. Over and over the psalmist praised God as his help in trouble. Then I came to verse 8. I’d read it before, but now it burned into my heart as hope against hope:

The LORD will accomplish what concerns me;

Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting;

Do not forsake the works of Thy hands. (NASB)

SOMEHOW

Though I didn’t know how—and it might not be the way I had planned things out—the Lord would take care of me. He saw my tears, my angst, but He saw much, much more. As it turned out, I’d be offered a nearby job in my field just days before I had to vacate the college housing. The company arranged for an employee to pick me up and temporarily house me until I could secure and afford my own housing.

Whenever I come back to Psalm 138, that scenario replays in my heart and reminds me to obey the psalm’s first verse: “I will give Thee thanks with all my heart” (NASB). Many Bibles offer chapter titles or summaries as guideposts outside of the actual translated text. In the various translations on my shelf, the title summaries for this psalm have included:

David praises God for the truth of His Word.

Thanksgiving for answered prayer.  God works out his plans for our lives and will bring us through the difficulties we face.

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s favor.

The Lord’s goodness to the faithful.

Give thanks to the Lord.

GRATITUDE

My need of a job was peanuts compared to what King David experienced as a national leader in rough-and-tumble times, and which led to him writing this psalm. But he hit on essential truths of an “attitude of gratitude” as we live out our days on this planet. The psalm makes these points:

*Make sure God gets the glory (vv. 1-3)

*Make sure the lost hear your witness of God’s help and favor (vv. 4-5)

*Experience how God imbues our weakness with His strength. (vv. 6-8)

I could pick apart and cross-reference this psalm a lot. But I go back to this truth: Jesus came low to lift me up! The end result is praise and glory to Him. If we think our circumstances are too dismal, it’s time to re-read Philippians, Paul’s epistle of joy written from a prison. Especially note these verses:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (1:6)

Rejoice in the Lord always…I will say it again: Rejoice! (4:4)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (4:6-7)

SOFT (Psalm 95)

A sheep (this one a puzzle piece--thank you, grandsons)

and a strong rock--two major symbols for Psalm 95

(An ongoing series on the 48 psalms recommended for reading during times of “feeling down,” as suggested in pastor-counselor David Seamands’ book, Healing for Damaged Emotions)

The soft strains of a 1980 worship song birthed in southern California always come to mind when I read Psalm 95:

Come, let us worship and bow down,

Let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker,

For He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture,

And the sheep of His hand (2x)

For a couple years, I lived and worked within a few miles of that song’s origins in the Maranatha! music ministry produced from Calvary Chapel, which greatly ministered to the hippie culture of that era.  I wonder how many people realized it was lifted right out of Psalm 95:6-7, or that this psalm has a strong message for hard hearts

So, how can warnings about “hardness” bring any comfort to times we feel down? I think the answer is in looking at place-names attached to an incident from the Exodus 17, when the newly-freed Israelites found themselves facing death because there was no water in the desert. They were blaming God, not worshipping Him.Then God told Moses to strike a certain rock, and out came a huge flow for all. From then on, the location was called “Massah” (meaning “testing”) and “Meribah” (meaning quarreling) because “they tested the LORD saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” (Exodus 17:7).

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

Baseball great Yogi Berra was known for his odd sayings, including the redundant “it’s deja vu all over again.” With spiritual maturity comes the ability to see ourselves in the mistakes of the past, such as the grumbling over lack of water. Thanks to living in a country where tap water is chlorinated and tested, I don’t face what the Israelites did with thirst and deprivation. But our culture sends griping and complaining into new areas. That can lead to a high sense of entitlement—what we think God should supply—without simply grateful for what we already have. Constantly I have to ask myself if I can say, with Paul:

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:12)

JUST PRAISE

During that same time that I lived in southern California, I was part of a Fullerton, Calif., church choir that sang a worship concert with the Gaither song, “Let’s Just Praise the Lord.” I still find myself humming that tune and thinking of the words, realizing how praise helps lift me when I am feeling down. When I feel “hard” and besieged, focusing on God’s mercies and greatness help to “soften” my heart. And that is the lesson that opens this psalm with its exhortation to praise God:

Come let us sing for joy to the LORD,

Let us shout aloud  to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving 

And extol him with music and song. (vv. 1-2)

The psalmist goes on to consider God as Creator of the world (vv. 3-5), then creator of us, humans, by allegory “people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (v. 7). Can you not help but stop here and think of Jesus as the Great Shepherd? Psalm 95 teaches that there are many ways to praise God: sing, shout aloud, extol with music, bow down, kneel... Even silence can be worship: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

“Count your blessings,” begins an old hymn, “name them one by one.” When I feel down and a bit hard-hearted, it’s the best spiritual medicine I can take.

ZIP THE LIP? REALLY? (Psalm 39)

Part of an ongoing series on the 48 psalms recommended by pastor-counselor David Seamands for people struggling with depression.

When things don’t go our way, the natural reaction is to gripe to others about it. But David struggled with a “spiritual muzzle,” if you will. He didn’t want to sin by complaining about God.  He lived long before the advice of the apostle Paul: “In everything give thanks” (see Philippians 4:6-7). But the David who wrote Psalm 38 was miserable in every way—sick and tired of it. If we’d been in his sandals without reliable medical help, we’d probably also complain that God hadn’t vaccinated us from the world’s woes. 

David says he tried to tame his tongue and muzzle his mouth “as long as the wicked are in my presence” (v. 1). But without good news to share, his self-control burst. Some testimony his “woe is me” showed unbelievers!  But right away. David reflects on wisdom gleaned from saints who preceded him. He quotes Moses from Psalm 90 about the brevity of life, then brings up Job questioning why God was so heavy-handed with him (Job 13:21). In other words,  David implies that he’s not the first to experience how life is no bed of roses, even for those who love and follow God.

PERSPECTIVE

By this time, David’s getting to some essential truths: that we weren’t created for this world. “Faith” is not about getting what we want now. It’s “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1)—what ancients from Abel on through Abraham, the patriarchs, Moses, the judges and prophets, and martyrs of the faith lived for and died by. We’re in prep for that heavenly “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

Must we “zip the lip” when we’re hurting? It’s not a “yes” or “no” answer.  We’re to watch out for complaining to others (especially unbelievers) about our jobs, money or personal situations when doing so causes these people to think God can’t take care of us. It’s wrong to gripe when it comes out as blaming God. Unbelievers will jump at anything to discredit the love and wisdom of God.  And marginal believers won’t be helped at all!  

Tell your woes privately to God?  Absolutely. Ask Him for perspective, strength and perseverance. He promises to supply. Seek God-honoring counsel from those equipped through life experience or training? Yes. You may need help in achieving “attitude correction.” As Moses affirmed in this psalm that David paraphrased:

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,

For as many years as we have seen trouble. (Psalm 90:14-15)

Finally, in the “for what it’s worth department,” I wrote this note in the margin of my Bible beside Psalm 90:12: “Kum Ba Yah,” plus a music note. The old camp song (“come by here”) seemed to match David’s plea, “Hear my prayer, O Lord.” 

Sent God-mail lately?

Early in my writing career, before the internet, old-fashioned mail connected me to the publishing industry. Yes, I once put manuscripts to editors in a box like this, flipped up the flag, and waited.  If they returned as “rejected,” I also hoped they wouldn’t have coffee stains, meaning tedious retyping. A common writer’s joke concerned how many cobwebs would adorn a mailbox before an overworked editor responded.  Now, my computer translates keystrokes to words, corrects my spelling, and zips a submission in seconds to a publishing house. What a world!

Recently, picking up the usual bills and flyers, I realized how busy my local spiders had been. A what-if occurred to me. What if, instead of receiving this type of mail, I was charged with sending love notes to God? What would I say? Right away, this phrase came to mind: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  I found it at the beginning of Psalm 107, and behold: it’s a chorus that threads throughout the psalm.

This psalm opens “Book V” of the Psalms, and it’s believed to include those collected after the Jews returned to their land.  Bible scholars say this psalm specifically mentions hurting and at-risk populations: refugees (4-7), prisoners (10-16), the sick (19-22), and victims (seamen, 23-32). These people didn’t have the soft life of a roof over their heads, a grocery store down the road, and decent medical care. Life for them was tough. Yet when they cried out to God, He heard them.

The last image, of seamen in a horrific storm (vv. 23-30) is terrifying, something like a Moby Dick drama or worst. Yet, when life crashes in around us, there couldn’t be a better metaphor.  I have several friends on the wild waves of serious illness.  They’re waiting for that time when they’ll be guided to a haven (v. 30), when they can “give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.”

 The key here is “his unfailing love.” No matter what trial assaults us, God’s unfailing love is there. Who of us hasn’t felt tossed around violently by life’s cruel storms? Yet, through it all is God’s unfailing love.

What does this have to do with a cobwebbed mailbox?  Maybe that there ought to be “thank you” notes to God going out regularly-- a box full of praises for God’s unfailibng love, headed to heaven via journaling, prayer, or public testimony.  I know I could improve on that area of my spiritual life! “Whoever is wise,” ends the psalm (v. 43), “let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord.”

Speaking of thanksgivings....

Oh, the awe of holding a newborn!  James, my son’s third son and our fourth grandchild, made his entrance a week ago.  Yes, it’s now “my three sons” at their household—bringing a smile to us “oldies” who remember the popular sit-com (1960-72) by that name featuring a fictional widower (starring Fred MacMurray) and three sons.  I always liked the perky housekeeper hired to keep things going! So, James, welcome as you grow up with brothers just 2 ½ and 4 years older.  I pray that as you grow up, you will embrace your heritage of faith.  “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” (James 3:13 NIV).

PRRRRRaise!



The full quote of sign on our porch:
"When I count my blessings, I count
 you twice." The cat's "blessing" was
probably a sunny spot to nap!

 The family cat was waiting when I slipped out of bed early for private time with God. As I headed to the kitchen for tea, he followed with a crescendoing purr. It had something to do with “plop of wet cat food in dish.” As he ate and purred, and I opened my Bible, I thought how that’s the attitude I want for God-time. Prrrrraise…anticipating, then savoring.

If our cat counted blessings for Thanksgiving, there would be just some broad categories: food, brushing, warm lap, private sleeping corner, the great outdoors in moderation.

We have so much more to inspire our thanks. Although its message has been blurred by the traditions of turkey and football, Thanksgiving is still about giving thanks. Or, as ancient Asaph of the temple music department put it, “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High” (Psalm 50:14).

I’ve been spending more time in psalms lately, and want to suggest some praise psalms for your reading list as Thanksgiving approaches. Here are seven, one for each day until Nov. 22.

Psalm 30, David’s composition for the dedication of the temple. I like how it contrasts life’s dark times with its hope. My favorite verse: “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (30:5). Thank God for bringing you through a dark time in your life.

Psalm 34, by David, when he pretended to be insane for his safety (1 Samuel 21). After getting out of that too-close-for-comfort danger, he sang out huge stanzas of praise. My favorite verses: “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together” (34:3, also our wedding verse). “Those who look to him are radiant” (v. 3). “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (v. 8). “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (v. 18). Praise God for His protection.

Psalm 40, by David, another hymn about protection. Most memorable image: “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (v. 2). For a real-life example of this many years later, go to Jeremiah 38 and read of the prophet’s sinking punishment. Another: “I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly” (v. 10b). Share with someone or a group about a time when God helped you.

Psalm 65, by David, packed full of praises for God’s work among people and in nature. Favorite verse: “You crown the year with bounty” (v. 11). Thank God for His benevolent care through food and shelter.

Psalm 103, another by David. It lists blessing after blessing. One precious to many is forgiveness: “As far as the east is from the west, so far as he removed our transgressions from us” (v. 2). Pick one blessing from the psalm’s list to praise God.

Psalm 107, no author listed, recounting God’s powerful plan seen in history. Key verse: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men” (v. 8). With today’s perspective on yesterday’s problems or challenges, thank God for His superior plan.

Psalm 116, no author listed, praise for God’s sustaining power in difficulties. Memorable verse: “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people” (vv. 12-14). Verse 15 touches the event most have a hard time linking to praise: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” In my mother’s last hours before her death of cancer, my father read this psalm to her. As he came to that verse, I knew she would soon be one of those “precious ones.” I also affirmed that death, though a painful parting on this side, transitions to something wonderful for those who are Christians. If you have loved ones who aren’t yet Christians, pray for their salvation.

Extra credit! Psalm 145 (also by David) is an ABC praise poem (except using the Hebrew alphabet, from aleph to taw). Make an alphabetical list of your own thanksgivings to God.

Thank-you note

A bride I know was a gem. She promptly and graciously acknowledged every shower and wedding gift. Except one. The package of pink towels came minus any sort of card or I.D. Would the gift-givers think her ungrateful because she never sent a note? How could she ever find out who they were?

As far as I know, she never solved the mystery. But her dilemma made me thankful that there’s one amazing, priceless gift for which I can daily give thanks. I was reminded of it a couple days ago in reading Paul’s first letter to Timothy. The venerable apostle starts out talking about people who reject God. Then he turns the finger on himself, the ultra-religious Christian hater, proud of his religious pedigree, and whose life changed dramatically to Christ-lover. Imagine the angst in his voice as Paul declared, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15).

He writes of Christ’s unlimited patience with him, then breaks out in a doxology: “Now to the King eternal, immoral, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (v. 17).

Paul knew how to say “thank you” to God. He knew what God had given Him—the priceless gift of eternal life. And even the midst of his serious discussion about false teachers and other problems of the religious community, Paul stopped to say, “Thank you, God.”

The King eternal. There are no other Gods besides Him.
The immortal God. The One without a beginning and without an end.
The invisible God. At least for now. But someday, “we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). I hope that grips your heart like nothing else. It does mine.
The only God. Not a shelf of gods. The only God, ever.
Honor and glory for ever and ever. Match this with the celestial hymn of Revelation 15:3: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.”

Here on a chilly early winter day, the fire is crackling and my husband is cracking open walnuts. I’ll soon assemble a mega “green bean casserole” for a big family dinner at my sister-in-law’s. Our daily newspaper with its 45 pounds (just kidding) of ads purring, “Buy, buy, buy” is in a disheveled pile near the couch. Often at Thanksgiving, I read my favorite “thankful” text, Psalm 103, as a reminder to praise God for all His benefits. But this year my heart is drawn to that verse in Paul’s letter to his protégé, Timothy.

Underlined in my Bible years ago with a blunt red pencil, it reminds me that this is what Thanksgiving is all about. Unlike the perplexed bride, we know both the Giver and His Gift. And to Him be all praise and thanksgiving, Amen.