It is the month of November again: the month where we here in America celebrate our Thanksgiving to God holiday. For many of us, it is a great time to get together with family and friends, and to travel to see some relatives we don’t get to see often. We have just had our Presidential election here in America. As I write this, there is some major economic turmoil in our country. But let’s be honest, we all have much for which we can be thankful.
1 Chronicles 16:8
Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Is there any one just plain thankful that you are saved, and can make the great things of the Lord known to those around you?
Acts 16:30
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Is there anyone out there very thankful that you know the answer to that question and can help others answer that exact same question? Since you know that Jesus is the answer, go and tell someone!
2 Chronicles 5:13
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
If you are reading this your eyes work, be thankful. If your voice works, use it wisely in bringing praise and glory to the name of the Most High God, and do it joyfully!
Psalm 18:49
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Is there anyone reading this that is thankful that the Lord didn’t take you right to heaven once you became saved? Are you grateful that He left you here to make His wonderful name and the atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus known to the heathen world? We are supposed to be the salt of the earth. Salt always makes its presence known. We should be so thankful that God wants to use us. So let Him work through you in a wonderful way amongst the lost souls all around you. And if you do not have lost souls around you, don’t expect them to come to you, go to where they are. I just finished an amazing talk with Grayson, a college professor, who is an American Indian. I can see him right now reading One Heartbeat Away on this plane flight. The Great Spirit can’t help him when he dies, but the Holy Spirit can lead him to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 79:13
So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
You and I don’t know how long we have left here on planet earth, but we need to make sure that we have left sufficient seed behind. We also need to make sure we leave a legacy of faith to those around us so that all future generations will know the truth about Jesus.
Psalm 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
One reason we should be entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, is that we are already doing that praising and thanking now. So when we take a last breath, it will be similar to the breaths that we have taken here on planet earth.
Mark 8:6
And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
Is there anyone thankful that you have food on your table today? Is there anyone thankful that you are breathing today? I met a 23 year old lady from Australia in the airport recently. Her story goes like this: she got married and had a baby that died. Her husband left her for another man. She decided to hang herself. Her sister finds her, screams, and her mother got her down. She was thankful she was still breathing. Are you? She still needs Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, so please pray for her.
Romans 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
One of the really fun things in life is to brag about how God is working through our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Make sure you do this often. Not to puff them up, but to encourage other brethren to press on toward the finish line.
Romans 1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
There are a lot of foolish hearts in America who don’t want to give God thanks. They want days off from work and holidays to spend with family and friends, but God does not show up on many of their top ten lists of things that are important in life. Make sure that never happens to you and your family in the coming days.
The Holy Spirit lets us know:
1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We always want victory when it comes to sports, but do you know that you have victory in the cross of Jesus Christ? We should be so excited about being on the winning team. But that means that there are people around you on the losing team. They will not have victory today or for eternity. Please ask God to use you in a mighty way to get people off of the losing team and onto the victorious team of our God.
Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
What have your lips been talking about lately? I had dinner last night with some brothers in the Lord from Denmark. They told me that when they travel, they love to stay with other brothers in the Lord because they can talk more about the things of God with the believers they stay with! You see, the fruit of their lips is continually talking about Jesus with the lost or saved. Your lips will have good fruit or bad fruit coming from them. Make sure it is very easy for those around you to figure out which it is coming from your lips.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
In everything, give thanks to the Lord. I met a guy this morning who is visually impaired. His impairment started four months ago and the doctors cannot figure out what is wrong. We had a great talk about the Lord. We talked about the fact that in the coming days, no matter what happens, he can glorify the Lord whether he can see or whether he can’t see.
You have a lot to be thankful for. Don’t ever forget that. Today would be the perfect day to just thank the Lord for all the great things He has done for you.
Numbers 6:24-26
LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Until the nets are full,
