Psalms 50:14 "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:"
As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, let us all approach it with grateful hearts. We have so much everyday to thank God for that we could never thank Him for everything He has done for us. Thanksgiving for the believer ought to be a daily thing; it ought to be a delightful thing. We have no idea what is good for us and what is bad for us, but God does. We are reminded in Matthew "...for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." Matthew 6:8 therefore we should thank God before we have time to think what is good and what is bad. Peter and John thanked God for being able to suffer for His name sake. Acts 5:41 "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." suffering is not always a bad thing; if God gets glory then it is worth our suffering. People believe that God only wants good for us therefore He only wants us to be healthy, wealthy, and wise, but did not God appoint us all to die and to face judgment? Sometimes God chooses for us to suffer many things for his glory. Look at Job, he lost everything including his children, land, cattle, and wife of sort when she told him to curse God and die. Now I wonder who we would all deal with those sufferings? We truly have no idea what to be thankful for, something looks good we think it will be good and if it looks bad then we think the world has caved in on us. But God knows because He has appointed it for us and will bring it all about. We know two things, (1) God works all things to our good Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." And (2) God will never put more on us than we can handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Therefore we must trust God that whatever happens is Gods will whether good or bad, and to be thankful for it. Thanksgiving is just a holiday and it is neither a godly holiday nor a holyday. However if one needs to be reminded to be thankful maybe they need to attend church more. It is best to be thankful for everything therefore you will never fail to be thankful for what you need too. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalms 106:1 - 2 "Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. (2.) Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?" Be thankful and praise God not at Thanksgiving but every moment of everyday that you can and for everything.
