THANKSGIVING
“O give
thanks unto the Lord for He is good;
His mercy endures forever."
Psalm
107:1
Thank God for
life! What a wondrous life man is permitted to live; to be alive; to be
conscious; to have power to think; to solve problems; to read the pages of
nature reverently as it reveals God; to know that this life is not all of life,
but above things animate and inanimate, we are to endure forever; the immortal
world of God never to disappear; all this included; all in the one fact of
being alive. Shall we not evermore give
thanks?
Thank God for work. We are all in the habit of complaining that we have so
much to do and don’t we really enjoy it?
There is not a day that passes but that we do things that are not
necessary. This only proves that we like it. What we call vacation is only
change of work. Play is work differently spelled ~ it is work that we happen to
enjoy doing. We could never have a moment's happiness unless we had something
to do.
The most dangerous thing is to be idle.
The English doctor's advice to his rich patient was "Live on a shilling a day and earn it.” It had in it the gospel of good sense. The man who is a Christian, but is not working at it much, will
soon either become dwarfed or die spiritually. When we have plenty to do, we should
thank God for it!
Thank God for rest. After a hard day's
work, rest is most welcomed and sweet. It is like the mountain climber reaching
the top and enjoying the wonderful view from the summit. He not only enjoys the
view, but the rest, calm and serenity, that only a mountaintop
can give. Life is not all labor. The way is not all uphill. Let us thank God
for the resting places He has provided on life's journey.
Thank God for friends. There are many
good men and women to be found in the world. There are doubtless bad people,
far too many of them; but we are liable too often to forget those who do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with
God; people who love, and give, and pray and work, and do all in their power
to put down evil and make this world a decent place in which to live! Yes, thank God for the multitude of good
people in the world and especially for our friends.
This is God's
world because so much of it is still a good world, and in due time it shall
become a paradise, a second Garden of Eden. God says so, the Bible says so, and
we believe it. In the long run, the right shall prevail. God is mightier than Satan. Christ’s Kingdom is surely coming, and God's
eternal purpose will be done on earth by men as it is done in heaven by angels.
The Kingdoms of this world shall, indeed, become the Kingdom of the LORD and of
His Christ: and He shall reign forever and ever (Revelation
Hitherto has the Lord helped us. Thank God for all your blessings and take courage.
Gaetano
Boccaccio
A THANKSGIVING
For
all Thy blessings given there are many to thank
Thee, Lord,
But
for the gifts withholden ~ I fain would add
my word.
For
the good things I desired ~ that barred me from
the best,
The
peace at the price of honor ~ the sloth of a
shameful
rest;
The
poisonous sweets I longed for ~ to my hungering
heart denied,
The
staff that broke and failed me ~ when I walked
in the way of
pride;
The
tinsel joys withheld ~ that contentment might still
be mine,
The
help refused that might have made me loose
my hand from
Thine;
The
light withdrawn that I might not see the dangers
of my way;
For what Thou hast not given, I thank Thee, Lord,
today.
Annie
Johnson Flint
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His Name;
make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him;
tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those
who seek the LORD rejoice.” 1 Chron. 16:8-12