“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” Eph 5:20 “For from him and through him and to him are all things.To him be glory forever. Amen” Rom 11:36
We as a people have much to be grateful, and thankful for. Yet we neglect and overlook the One responsible for that which we have.
Looking for civil and religious liberty pilgrims set sail on a 2 month journey for the New World. Under extreme conditions they found land in late November, but prayer was a staple in their daily lives, and it was by prayer that they perservered.
“Edward Winslow one of the pilgrim settlers described their thanksgiving this way… Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling so that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as served the company almost a week. Many of the Indians amongst us and, their king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us yet By the goodness of God we are far from want“
It is this mindset that we ought to have in our daily lives, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father. 1 Thess 5:18 tells us in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. However we are warned in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 , that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. You see this in the Americas and the world around us. Change your focus! We were saved to serve our Creator and there is so, so much to thank Him for even as we all go through our individual trials. Just keep in mind that the trials we go through are part of the purification process see Ezekiel 36:22-32.
In closing this prayer is taken from ”The Valley of Vision” titled God All- Sufficeient
“O Lord of grace,
The world is before me this day,
and I am weak and fearful,
but I look to thee for strength;
If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
but on the beloved’s arms I am firm as the eternal hills;
If left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame thy name,
but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,
I shall bring thee glory.
Be thou my arm to support,
my strength to stand, my light to see,
my feet to run, my shield to protect,
my sword to repel, my sun to warm.
to enrich me will not diminish thy fullness;
all thy lovingkindness is in thy Son,
I bring him to thee in the arms of faith,
I urge his saving name as the one who died for me.
I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.
Accept his worthiness for my unworthiness,
his sinlessness for my transgressions,
his purity for my uncleanness,
his sincerity for my guile,
his truth for my deceits,
his meekness for my pride,
his constancy for my backsliding,
his love for my enmity,
his fullness for my emptiness,
his faithfulness for my treachery,
his obedience for my lawlessness,
his glory for my shame,
his devotedness for my waywardness,
his holy life for my unchaste ways,
his righteousness for my dead works,
his death for my life.”
Lets not wait until the celebrated Thanksgiving day to be thankful, lets give God thanks each and every day share with someone that you work with, go to school with, work out with, or even live with the reason for your joy and why you are thankful for we have a gracious God!