[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Saturday, November 23, 2013

[Paul]

Hello and good day once again to all my loyal readers out there in cyberspace, whether your day is just beginning, ending or in the middle.  For you in Australia and New Zealand it's already the Lord's Day morning, whereas in other parts of this world it's still Saturday.  Whatever time of day it is or even day, I hope and pray that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that your day is going well.

A number of years ago in a publication called "Psychology for Living" Kenneth A Markley wrote an article entitled "Be Thankful Unto Him" which I'd like to share with you today.  It is rendered as follows:

Why not consider your great blessings and make this a season of genuine thankfulness to the Lord?

In the month of November in 1621, Governor William Bradford of the little Plymouth Colony proclaimed a three-day celebration to acknowledge the good harvests that God had given.

November is still the special month of gratitude for all thoughtful Americans, not only because of our president's annual proclamation of Thanksgiving as a holiday, but also because of the blessings of freedom in this great country and the many other mercies God so graciously bestows upon us.

Then, there's Christmas--just around the corner.  If ever there is a time of giving and receiving, it is Christmas.  Yet, no gifts--either given or received--can ever begin to compare with the precious invaluable gifts that God gives to us.  For these we ought to be thankful.

In the Bible we read of ten men, lepers whose bodies were healed--but only one, a despised Samaritan, returned to express gratitude to Christ.  Jesus praised this Samaritan's gratitude.  God expects and seeks our thanks for the daily blessings we enjoy.

At this Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I am thankful for many things--too many, in fact, to list in this brief article, but here are a few of the more obvious.

1.  THE GIFT OF LIFE:

No necessity of nature required me as an individual to be born on earth.  Nevertheless, a sovereign God has bestowed the gift of life and individuality on each of us.  For this gift, I owe God every aspect of my being.  How can I do less than serve Him every day, using for His glory all the talents He has given me?

2.  THE GIFT OF HEALTH:

Although some do not have perfect health, everyone enjoys some measure of physical wellbeing.  Very few suffer continuously, and even those who do realize times of remission and rest for which they can be thankful.

3.  THE GIFT OF FREEDOM:

Years ago, our Puritan ancestors came to America for the purpose of establishing a Christian nation.  And even today, in spite of the sin-corrupted society that has developed, the laws and principles of our country reflect that wonderful Puritan heritage.  Our nation is still reaping the benefits of our forefathers' adherence to the inspired Word of God.

Thank God for America! Ours is the most generous nation in the world and will continue to be--if we, as born-again believers, will remain faithful in leading others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Also, it is our responsibility to let our convictions be known to those who represent us in the local, state and national government.  We must stand up for righteousness.

4.  THE GIFT OF SERVICE:

Certainly, one of God's greatest gifts to His children is the privilege of serving Christ.  Some serve through full-time activity as a pastor, missionary, youth worker, Christian counselor, or in any other capacities in the immediate ministry of Christ.  Others who cannot enter full-time Christian service can, nevertheless, have a part in ministry through prayer and the financial support of others who are out in the front lines of service.  Every believer is called to be a soul winner and a witness.  No matter where God puts us, we have a responsibility to be faithful in pointing others to Jesus.

5.  THE GIFT OF SALVATION:

This, of course, is God's greatest gift to us.  Imagine, sending His divine Son to be born as a human baby so that He could grow up to become a substitutionary sacrifice to die for our sins, thus completely satisfying the requirements of a holy and righteous God.  "Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift" (II Corinthians 9:15).  We echo John Newton's "Amazing Grace" and Charles Wesley's "Amazing Love, How Can It be that Thou, My God, Shouldst die for me?"

Life, health, freedom, service, and salvation.  The list could go on and on.  But where in our time are the "nine" who failed to return thanks? They are represented in the countless millions who pass through this life with no more gratitude than those lepers on their way to Jerusalem.

Let us each consider our great blessings and make this a season of genuine thankfulness to the Lord--one that continues throughout our lifetime and spills over into the lives of all we meet along the way.

"Be thankful unto Him and bless His name" (Psalm 100).

And there you have Brother Markley's article which I originally read more than eight years ago.  The timelessness of his words will hold true until Jesus comes, in my opinion.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought article on the subject of Thanksgiving so, as they still occasionally say in radio, stay tuned.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul