O Give Thanks

On this day of Thanksgiving I just want to leave you with one thought...if it had not been for the Lord.  Sure many of us have not had the best year but when you stop and think about how worse off you would be if the Lord hadn't extended His hand of mercy and afforded us great grace.  If God Almighty hadn't protected you from dangers seen and unseen. I know that there are times when it is easier to focus on the bad instead of the good, but the time has come to do something different.  I know that as a Christians I don't think enough about the goodness of the Lord. Even the trials that He allows us to go through have a purpose and the end has already been defined.  All things are going to work out for our good---Romans 8:28. 

The scripture tells us in I Thessalonians 5:18, 'Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]'.  Let me just give you a list of the things you can always thank God for: for electing, redeeming, regenerating, adopting, pardoning, justifying, and persevering grace. For the Holy Spirit that dwells in us that protects us from ourselves.  For the sending of His only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.  Every time I think of the sacrifice that was made, I am prompted to give thanks.  The life of a Christian should be a constant life of joy.  We are not to despair as those who have no hope.  We always have hope.  We serve a God that knew our ending before our beginning and because of that we should always be rejoicing.  Christians are the only ones whose afflictions and blessings serve as a benefit.  Most times it is those very afflictions that are on the path to our blessings.

Today I just want to challenge you, because I understand that there may be those out there who may be having a difficult time finding something to be thankful for, take an honest look at your life.  Think about the times you know that God has been 'a very present help in the time of trouble'---Psalms 46:1.  Look around you and observe His hand over the entire earth.  I have learned that when you learn to thank God even for the bad, He rewards you with good.  He gives you peace and joy, those things that no matter what the world can't take away. 
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

I just want to take a moment and say 'thank you'.  You have been so good to me that words I can't even put into words how grateful I am for all that You have done.  But for Your grace and Your mercy I would not even be here today.  Help me to share Your message of hope to those around me by giving thanks always in every circumstance.  I know that this is Your will for me.  In Jesus' Name I pray Amen.