Give Thanks

Give Thanks

Each year at this time, our country sets aside a day to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is intended for each of us to give thanks for what God has blessed us with during the past year. The Bible clearly tells us to give thanks to God for His blessings and it is mentioned in the Bible forty times. In Psalm 100:4-5, God says that we are to be thankful to Him and bless His holy name.

For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Living a thankful life is a lifestyle that is contagious and will affect your attitude toward others and you will be blessed.

The life that we live is a blessing from God and we must take time to reach out to each other with a thankful heart and share God’s blessings for health, wealth, and the good things we have been given. Can we even begin to number the benefits and blessings we receive from the Lord? We’ve come to expect so many of these daily things of life.

Of course we remember to thank God for the big things — for answered prayers, for salvation. But do we remember to give thanks for His countless daily blessings?

Thank Him for the dawning of a new day. For the warmth of our bed or the morning’s first steaming cup of coffee. For our spouse’s hug, our child’s smile, our friend’s caring call. Every breath of every moment is filled with the promised blessings of God — if we but open our eyes to see them. You can start by choosing to read Scripture. It will affect your attitude. Hide God’s Word in your heart and let His Spirit fill you with His presence. The Lord has promised that He will guide you and bless your life when you choose to depend on Him.

Psalm 19:14 says,

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

If you want to live a life that is connected to God, you must include Him in your walk, talk, and thought process every day. The Lord desires to be included in your life. This does not come naturally, but we must choose to follow Him and have the discipline to include the Lord in our everyday life. This allows God to come first in everything we do and say as well as give Him praise for all the things that we have been given. Psalm 95:2-3 says,

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.

As you gather around the table with family and friends to feast on your Thanksgiving dinner, let it be a time of sharing the many blessings God has given you this past year and how He has filled your life with His presence.

Original devotion written for Devotionals Daily by Jack Countryman, author of God’s Promises Every Day.

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Your Turn

The pies are baking, the table is set, the turkey is waiting, the sparkling cider is chilling, and the day of thanks is almost here. It’s time to write out thankful lists! Take some time today to write out what you’re grateful to God for this last year. What has He done in your life, in your family, at work, at school, in your church family? How has He provided, protected, stretched, spoken, fulfilled promises, or brought a dream back to life for you? We would love to hear from you! Come share with us on our blog! ~ Devotionals Daily