What started out as a twitter post, grew into a small blog post of thanksgiving, primarily due to the amount of references within Scripture simply on one word, Thanksgiving.
America traces this day back to a combined meal with the pilgrims and the Native Americans with a proclamation made by President Abraham Lincoln to create a national holiday. For Christians, Scripture is filled and instructs mankind to be thankful for many things. Some of which include songs of, sacrifices of, as well as simply being thankful in all things.
A great song was written by Johnson Oatman in 1897 called Count Your Blessings takes portions of Scriptures and places them into what seemingly is a call from himself and others to count the good, the blessings, that has been provided. It is a simple but powerful song of reminding that we need to be thankful daily for the provisions that have been bestowed upon us by God. He grants them to both the believer and unbeliever.
I could cover a grand list of what I am thankful for and I quite imagine that you could as well if you paused and began to write down a list of things you can be grateful for. Recently, I was listening to a talk show about a mother who wrote a book while she was bed-stricken during her pregnancy. She indicated that they were having financial problems to keep up with the maintenance of the house. Her husband kept a positive attitude, making light of their situation to keep them thinking positive. As she laid one day, in the midst of feeling low she began to jot down, as a prayer, what she was thankful for. She relayed that what started out as a presumptuous couple lines turned into three full pages and later into a book. I apologize that I do not recall her name but she was on Family Life Today.
As for myself, I can begin a similar book for the family I grew up in, a home, my wife and son, food, clothing, a job, reliable transportation, friends, my parents, and so on. I find myself thanking God nearly all day which only a year ago was a simple thanks for the food and a few things.
God is a loving Father that gives abundantly to His children. Scripture indicates that following:
Proclaim His works with Thanksgiving - Psalm 26:7
Come into His presence with Thanksgiving - Psalm 95:2
Enter His gates with Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:4
Sing with Thanksgiving - Psalm 147:7
Sacrifice with Thanksgiving - Jonah 2:9
Pray and petition with Thanksgiving - Philippians 4:6
Be vigilant in prayer with Thanksgiving - Colossians 4:2
Receive food with Thanksgiving - 1 Timothy 4:3-4
No matter your circumstance, no matter how low or grand your situation, be thankful. There are many times in which we endure difficult and challenging situations in life that we cannot see any blessing. God is still blessing you, thank Him...as difficult as it may be, thank Him and be thankful.
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