HAPPY THANKSGIVING

G I V E T H A N K S

Are you busy?

Are you excited?

In the midst of cleaning the house and prepping the turkey, stocking the bathroom with toilet paper and hiding the laundry in the closet, remember to...

P A U S E.

Take a second to think about why you give thanks.

Adopted.

For us, we are overwhelmingly grateful to have been adopted into Christ's family. We are children of God.

Forgiven.

Though we have despised and mocked Him, God still chose to love us and call us His own. Besides that, He chose to forgive us and hold no grudges.

Covered.

Even more so, because we have trusted in Jesus' death as payment for our sins, God has chosen to view us as though we were sinless. He sees us as He sees his own Son. We are covered by Christ's righteousness through faith.

O U R P R A Y E R F O R Y O U R F A M I L Y

"Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good." (Psalm 107:1).

His always and forever, steadfast, unfailing, covenant-keeping love endures into eternity.

We pray that you and your family would know that unending love.

What do Thanksgiving and Bible Translation have in common? Part 3

While beginning this journey of serving with Wycliffe Associates, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, we tried to think of some of the ways Thanksgiving and Bible Translation are similar. We decided to focus on the aspects of community, feasting, and thankfulness.

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Thankfulness

One of our favorite things about the Thanksgiving holiday (aside from the food & fellowship!) is that it challenges us to recognize and acknowledge the things that fill us with gratitude.

On Thanksgiving, many families will invite each person to share one thing that they are thankful for. We have a cousin who posts on Facebook every day during the month of November the things she appreciates. Some people don’t shave their beard to express their gratitude for… beards?

However it is celebrated, we know that in order to give thanks, we must acknowledge the things we are thankful for.

Thankfulness is the natural overflow of a thankful heart.

And nothing produces a thankful heart more than undeserved kindness.

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When national church leaders gather to translate the Bible into their native tongue, thankfulness is the result.

We have heard it explained as though these people finally realize that Scripture is meant for them too. Many weep, full of joy, when they are able to read or hear God’s Word in their own language for the first time.

Why? Because it is in Scripture where we learn of God’s decision to lavish His love upon us, despite our vast failures and inadequacies. It is in Scripture that we can know God. And the proper response to knowing God is giving him thanks, praising him.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, God’s undeserved kindness stirs within us the need to give thanks.

Although we know we don’t belong, we have been adopted into His family and invited to share a meal at His table.

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“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 92:1).

#thanksgiving #thankfulness #bibletranslation #wycliffeassociates

What do Thanksgiving and Bible Translation have in common? Part 2

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we tried to think of some of the ways Thanksgiving and Bible Translation are similar. We decided to focus on the aspects of community, feasting, and thankfulness.

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Feasting

I don’t know about you, but I love a good feast.

The Thanksgiving holiday is known for feasting. It is a time for friends and family to gather together, while sharing a meal that is made up of unique dishes from various kitchens. Some are savory and some are sweet, some are warm and some are cold.

This special meal is rarely the “Thursday night usual” – cereal for dinner with a side of PBJ. No, this is full-course. We feast at Thanksgiving.

But there is more to be said of feasting than the food and its yummy flavor. There is also the warmth of being surrounded by people who know and love you. People you also know and love.

When we gather around the Thanksgiving table, we have a tangible demonstration of friendship, closeness, joy and thankfulness.

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We have heard stories of tribes of people who, when they began to translate the Bible into their own language for the first time, skipped meals to complete it as fast as possible. They equated the reading of God’s Word to feasting.

That is because reading Scripture is like feasting. It brings both sustenance and joy. It sustains us by teaching us to hope in God – in his justice, goodness and compassion. It gives us the joy of knowing the God who created us, knows us and loves us.

The Psalmist talks about “the decrees of the LORD” being “sweeter than honey.”

Think about how sweet it is to be nourished by Scripture. While we often take it for granted (having had access to it our entire lives), the Bible is no less powerful in its ability to stir our hearts.

Then imagine how positively overwhelming it must feel to hear God’s words after having lived a lifetime without them.

The prophet Jeremiah felt abandoned and filled with grief, but then declares,

“When I discovered your words, I devoured them.

They are my joy and my heart's delight.”

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“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world” (Isaiah 25:6).

#thanksgiving #bible #languages #wycliffeassociates #feast