Articles about Thanksgiving

Be Thankful

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever (Psalms 136:1)

 

This is Thanksgiving week, a time when it seems that people do pause, if only for a moment, and think about the ways in which their lives have been blessed. As I sit here thinking about this, there are so many thoughts that sweep down over my soul. There are so many things I would like to say, yet the words to adequately express those things just seem to fail me. Sometimes, even though I try and try to always walk in the ways of the Lord, my burdened heart just wants to scream out, "O wretched man that I am."  Have any of you ever felt this way?

 

I love the words of Psalm 112:1 that tell me to "Praise the Lord, blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments." And, O the comfort I get when I hear the Lord say. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful"  (John 14:27)

 

Now I think about these words from one of our grand old songs, "When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done." Over this short span of my life, God has been so good to me even in those times when I have been weak and failed to serve Him as I should have. I have a tremendous family. Blessed with a beautiful wife who stood faithfully by my side for almost 58 years before she departed this life, four wonderful children, seven marvelous grandchildren and five beautiful great-grandchildren, I have had the opportunity to preach/teach the gospel message from the pulpit and the classroom for many, many years as well as serve as an elder in the Lord's church. All of this, coupled with the abundant physical and material blessings over the years makes me realize that God has been so good to me and as that grand old song concludes, "blessed me with wealth untold."  Now, count your blessings and I am sure that you will come to the same conclusion about your life.

 

I believe that the greatest blessing of all is the privilege of being a part of the Lord's body, the church. "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are" (1 John 3:1). My friends, let us stop looking at the thorns of life and start counting our blessings, not just once a year but every day of our life for the rest of our days on planet earth. Today, I just want to tell the world that the Lord God is so good, He's been so good to me. It is my prayer that as you reflect on your life, you will feel the same way. Forgive me for the personal nature of this week's message but this is how one old man feels in his heart on this day!

 

Charles Hicks