Thanksgiving

Fall is officially here.  And with fall comes the Fall holidays, the notable one for the purposes of this blog being Thanksgiving.  Part of me cringes every year at this time as I realize how few thanks I have given to God for all that He has done for me.  It is sad that I need a holiday to remind me of something that I should be doing on a daily basis.  Psalm 136:1 reminds us of our need to give thanks when the psalmist says, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, For His loving-kindness is everlasting." (NASB)  Psalm 108:3 tells us that David promises, "I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples. . ." (NASB).  Psalm 107 adds that we are not only to give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness, but also ". . .for His wonders to the sons of men" (NASB).  In Psalm 107 it repeats this refrain more than once.  We give thanks to God for who He is and what He does.  May I share with you today some things I have been reminded of my need to be thankful for?  If not, please stop reading.  If I may, read on.

1. I am thankful for the things that God chooses not to give me.  This seems odd, but it is absolutely true.  We have been praying as a family that God would sell our house in Illinois for months, and God has chosen to postpone this process.  I am thankful for this because of all of things we have because God has chosen to answer my prayers in a way I had not anticipated.  We have been able to draw closer to our church as they have circled around us in prayer.  We have been taught patience and trust.  It has strengthened our marriage.  It has given me a new appreciation for the strength of my wife and kids.  And this is the short list!  All these blessings would not have been mine if our house had sold immediately.

2. I am thankful for the inconveniences of life.  Yesterday as I drove to Illinois to care for a house I have been praying would sell I was slowed by a number of situations and arrived in town a little later than I had hoped.  And then as I drove by an accident that I very well could have been a part of had I gotten there 15 minutes earlier, I was reminded that God's timing and plan is perfect and the things that I perceive as inconveniences can be God's protection.

3. I am thankful for the patience of God with me.  I am thankful He is longsuffering and kind.  I am thankful that He is loving and good.  Each time I read the Word of God I am reminded of a characteristic of who God is.  And in each one of these I need to give thanks.  But, I am also thankful that God is just and holy and jealous for His own name.   I am thankful for the Savior who satisfied the justice and wrath of God and imputes to me His righteousness.  Suffice to say, I am thankful for the theology of who God is!

So, what will you find to be thankful for today.  Let us be thankful each day for the blessings of God are innumerable!
Give Thanks!