Press the arrow to listen to Kari Jobe sing “Revelation Song” as you read today’s journal about thankfulness.

Scripture
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. Matthew 28:6-7

Observation
The words “Simon the Leper” should make us take a u-turn in Matthew 26. The story continues on with the familiar account of Mary pouring her alabaster jar of precious perfume over Jesus. But stop and consider where the feast was being held. Jesus was eating in the home of what we must assume was a one-time-now-healed leper named Simon.

For Jesus to be in his house would have made headlines. Jews had phobias, and in addition to dirty hands and Gentiles, lepers topped the list. Who was Simon? As the only other reference in Matthew’s gospel to a leper is the one Jesus touched and healed just after the Sermon on the Mount, we are tempted to think that Simon was that very one.

Whether or not, doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Simon was a grateful man, and with a feast of thanksgiving he hosted Jesus. Little did he know, however, that his one act of thankfulness would set into motion a chain of events that would never be forgotten.

It was in Simon’s house that Mary poured out her perfume worth a year’s wages. That perfume was the only thing that could not be stripped from Jesus as he went to the cross. The worship of its aroma filled his nostrils as he suffered. And the memory of Mary’s gift still is spoken of in pulpits all around the world. All of this happened because Simon was grateful and hosted a meal to show gratitude toward Jesus.

Application
It makes me wonder about the ripples that emanate from any word or deed of thanksgiving. This morning a dear friend sent me a text message of thanks on Thanksgiving Day. Because he thanked me, I am on my way to do the same for others. There is a domino theory with thanksgiving. I must consider all that Christ has done for me and create atmosphere of thanksgiving.

Prayer
Father, today I’m thankful for a saint who is now worshipping before your throne. Before she went home to be with you, Margaret taught me how to make family every holiday, by inviting in those who have no family of their own. She taught me the secret of community. Today our table will be surrounded by those who will enjoy fellowship and food. Make this an outstanding day of gratefulness for them. Create an atmosphere of thanksgiving here that will permeate throughout their lives and beyond. Let the words of thanks ricochet around the world because of what we do at our table today. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to Hillsong sing “Halleujah” as you read today’s devotion.

Scripture
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. 1 Corinthians 9:10-11

Observation
A truly great leader is not known by how much money he keeps but by his generosity in giving away. The word “generous” has its origin in a Latin word that means someone of noble birth. The idea is that the truly noble person is a giver, for he has a combination of power and tenderness.

When God calls us to be generous he is inviting us to act regally and royally, for to give is truly a noble thing. We think of royalty reflected in possessions, while God considers true nobility in an open heart.

There is a harvest with all of God’s financial development in our lives. When exactly does that harvest come? Does it come when we receive more financially? The answer is, no. The harvest comes when we show generosity. The produce God is looking for in what he invests into us is that characteristic of kings and queens: the ability to be generous. The money is inconsequential; the generosity that is created in us is what matters most to him.

An open, sharing heart is one of the greatest gifts we can give to the Lord, for it is then that we are most like him. When funds flow into our lives we are not to think that we have come to the finish line and arrived. The harvest has yet to come. There is no harvest until we give, then we have become like the Lord.

Prayer
Father, with or without money, I want to have an open heart of generosity. In each gift I give, make my heart like your own. Amen.

Today is Thanksgiving Day, so here’s a journal from my archives. It comes from November 2001, just after 9/11.

Thankful,

Phil

When Thomas Edison turned the crank of the first phonograph, stunned people for the first time in history heard the sound of their own voices. The poor heard music designed for kings. Those who had never met a President heard him from one of the wax records. The voice of an opera singer or the laughter of a comedian could be played whenever, wherever a person desired.

But as remarkable as Edison’s contraption was, some of the most famous artists of his day would not condescend to allow their music to be recorded by such a crude instrument. The reason why—the Edison phonograph produced almost as much background noise as it did recorded sound.

The wind up motor that drove the turntable ground like a meat grinder—grrrrrrr. And the diamond needle scratching across the cylinder hissed like a leaking tire—hssssss.

Today we have iPods that produce pure sound. But in the early days along with the sound of the music came the grrrrrrr of the motor and the hssssss of the needle.

The other morning our family was getting up for Sunday church. Sunday starts at 4.30am for the McCallum’s. Levi has to be at his lighting ministry by 6.00am, Laurel at the children’s ministry by 6.30am, as well as Leslie and I for 7.00am. As they piled in the car there was a lot of grrrrrrr and hssssss in the background. (In case you’re thinking I’m the one who drags the kids out of bed at 4.30am, it was actually their idea to serve in these ministries.)

It was then that I remembered the old Edison phonograph that I have stored back in Australia. I told the kids what I just wrote for you to read. Then I added, “Our lives are producing something far more important than music. We are playing our testimony of Jesus in the work that we do for him. We may be doing the work for him, but are we adding background noise of grumbling and complaining. People may see a little bit of Jesus in us, but in the background they hear a lot of grrrrrrr and hssssss as well.”

Something must have been absorbed into their souls, because before long I heard laughter from the back seat. We may have even sung a song as we drove through the pre-dawn darkness. There is nothing like an MP3 rendition of our service for Jesus with no background hiss, just pure sound.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

This has been a tough year for the United States. I read on one church sign the topic of this week’s sermon, “What’s Left of Thanksgiving?” I detected a sound of grrrrr and hssss in the background.

With the attack on the twin towers and the present state of war on terrorism it is a time many Americans are huddling close together to count their blessings.

We’ll be sharing Thanksgiving with a number of families including the Lockwood family. Glen has just returned from New York where he was the second in charge for the American Red Cross’ operations at Ground Zero in Manhattan.

Coming from the centre of the disaster one would think there would be much background noise of complaint to serve in such a disaster. But in talking with Glen shortly after he returned I didn’t hear a single scratch. Glen spoke in hushed tones of thankful awe that he had been allowed to participate in the disaster relief. He told of his sense of regret to leave and the sense of responsibility he left behind.

If Glen could serve at Ground Zero “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” then it must be possible to reproduce the life of Jesus without interference whatever our condition might be.

I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving, not just in name only but in practice. Try it, you’ll be amazed how good it makes you feel. Most of all the Lord will enjoy it and others will thank you as well.