Thanksgiving Day is rapidly approaching. It is a time to count our blessings, to realize all the good things that surround us, and to keep our focus on our faithful heavenly Father. It is my favorite holiday because it emphasizes many of the good things of life--faith, family, friends, blessings, and gratitude.
Are you thankful today?
The blind evangelist Ralph Montanus would always open his radio show with the hymn "Count Your Blessings," which goes like this:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done,
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
I believe what Meister Eckhardt wrote, "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice."
We must remember what Spurgeon wrote, "You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled." Godliness with contentment is great gain for us. (See 1 Timothy 6:6.)
Fanny Crosby, a blind hymn-writer, wrote these words when she was a small child:
O what a happy soul am I!
Though blind and cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
She went on to become one of the greatest hymn-writers of all time.
What are you thankful for? Are you content? Remember these words: "He who thanks but with the lips, thanks but in part; the full, the true Thanksgiving comes from the heart" (J.A. Shedd).
Yes, thanksgiving comes from the heart, but we must also remember it is a word of action. If we are truly thankful, we will go forth in that spirit to share our blessings with others.
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name, for the Lord is good" (Psalm 100:4-5). You can always count on the goodness of God. As we contemplate His goodness, we must be thankful.
