“What Are You Thankful For?”

It’s Thanksgiving season, and I have been thinking of all I am thankful for. Family, friends, jobs, material blessings, etc. Those are all things I am absolutely thankful for every day, not just on Thanksgiving. “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done,” 1 Chronicles 16:8. The Bible calls us to be thankful for and content with everything we have. Our family, health, meals we can share with loved ones, and of course life itself are all precious gifts from the Lord. But discontent, greed, or fears don’t allow us to fully appreciate and treasure the precious gifts of life.

We don’t know what the future holds. We might have to go through difficult times of not having food in our pantry or worse. But as the children of God, we are assured of his continuous love and care. The Lord himself is our helper in this perilous life.

Being thankful is a witness. In his psalms King David wanted to tell everyone how great God is! The occasion of bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem was no exception. David wanted everyone to join in the celebration of praise.

David’s psalm is long and rich. It sparks our praise for a wide variety of things: for God’s wonderful acts and his holy name, for God’s strength, miracles and the judgments he pronounced, that God remembers his covenant forever, for God’s protection when his people were vulnerable, that splendor and majesty are before him, strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

Thanksgiving is recognition of a debt that cannot be paid. We express thanks, whether or not we are able otherwise to reimburse the giver. When thanksgiving is filled with true meaning and is not just the formality of a polite “thank you,” it is the recognition of dependence.

So this Thanksgiving, whether you see the blessing abounding in your life or you are struggling to find anything to be thankful for, turn to God, the one who blesses you with grace and salvation daily and who longs for you to praise Him in the midst of your suffering. In all things, give thanks. Please visit The Family Church 9456 Highway 146 N Liberty, TX (Hardin) Sunday 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and Wednesday 7 p.m. Pastor Jamie and Stephanie Blume would like to wish you all a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.