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Thanksgiving: Goodness everywhere!
For the Lesson titled "Thanksgiving" 2012
What pure joy to read this Thanksgiving Bible Lesson, filled with messages of gladness, singing, praise, and gratitude to God for His infinite goodness. Indeed, the Hebrew word for thanksgiving in Psalms 50:14 (citation 12) means “choir of worshippers,” according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. This Lesson is truly singing with praise to God for the abundant good exemplified in His loving care for us, providing everything needed for our health and well-being for eternity.
Section III gives a beautiful example of God’s healing power in the restoration to health and wholeness of the crippled man sitting at the gate of the temple (Acts 3:1–8, cit. 10). When Peter and John were about to go into the temple, this man begged them for money. Although Peter and John had no gold or silver, they did have something of even greater value. They understood the power and presence of the Christ, which reveals man’s true status as a perfect child of God. Peter asked the man to look on them. Perhaps what Peter was
really asking him to do was to look up to the Christ, not to money, for help. The man took heed, expectant of receiving. The gift he received was more than money could buy.
Peter commanded the man in the name and authority of Christ Jesus to “rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6, cit. 10). The words rise up in Greek mean to “waken” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). Wasn’t this evidence of the awakening activity of the Christ in operation, rousing the man’s thought to receive the gift of the healing Christ that declared his present wholeness? And the man, who had never walked before, immediately rose up and walked, leaping with joyous thanksgiving as he entered with Peter and John into the temple.
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About the author
Janet H. Clements is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher in Chicago, Illinois.
