Monday – Day 305 of 2021 – November 1
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you
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Did you notice. Most every store was transformed. A month ago, they were filled with Halloween decorations and candy for the little munchkins. But today, as if by some ethereal mandate there was a great change. Instead of brown colored placemats and pumpkins, they all have been transformed into the red and greens of Christmas. It’s like they forgot Thanksgiving, right?
I will not submit to the change. I will be celebrating Thanksgiving every day this month. In 1621 during a three-day event with the Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag gathered for the autumn harvest. Today we have cut it down to one meal. It has become about turkey and cranberry sauce. It is Thanksgiving, people. This month please join with me daily as we remember, rejoice, pray, and give thanks. What are you thankful for? I mean at this moment what is in your life that you can simply say “thank you”.
OK, I will start: Thank God for my salvation!
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Tuesday – Day 306 of 2021 – November 2
I Corinthians 15:57 “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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I am still here. I don’t move as quickly as I did 50 years ago when life was full of adventure and peril. But I am still moving. I would suppose the best thing this morning is to be thankful for is time. Time to share with others. You see time is priceless, cherished, and irreplaceable. Sickness and accident have taken many from us. For some this coming Thanksgiving holiday with be the first without a loved one in their lives.
I am thankful to God who gives me peace in the autumn of my years. I don’t understand it, but it is there reminding me of heaven. A place where there are no pains, no broken bones, no infirmities, nothing but laughter and joy
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Wednesday – Day 307 of 2021 – November 3
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
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Paul the writer of these words was under arrest by the Roman Empire for treason. The church in Philippi was concerned for Paul safety. In turn, Paul was concerned the example of his imprisonment might cause worry for their own future. Worry, anxiety was spreading throughout the church. The church was facing external pressures and internal problems which were limiting joyful celebration.
Worry kills joy. Anxiety limits celebration. Paul’s advice was to let it go and by prayer with thanksgiving, ask of God for the peace that settles the mind. We all live in perilous times. Times of worry. Times of questions and concern. I need to give it all up and let God give me peace. God guarding my heart and mind, now that is something I can give thanks for.
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Thursday – Day 308 of 2021 – November 4
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.”
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The church which I attend has an emphasis this month of “I love my Church”. There are shirts, there are sermons, there are continual efforts to be a church that is centered in our community. I thank God for those who are willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. Faith is growing. The expressed love for one another is exampled by sincere expressions of love and concern. I do love my Church. It is not the building, it is not the songs we sing, it is not the lighting, or even the big screens with provide the sermon points. It is a Pastor willing to do what is needed when there is need. It is concern and help to those who cannot help themselves. It is not giving up our young people to a culture that would harden their hearts. It is real and true Bible study. It is a group of men and women who take the time to be Christian all the time. For these things that are increasing, I am thankful for the Church.
Friday – Day 309 of 2021 – November 5
Colossians 3:17 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be thankful.
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A song written by Tony Wood and Kevin Stokes that speak clearly to these words to the Church in Colossi: “Sometimes He calms the storm, With a whispered “peace be still”, He can settle any sea, But it doesn’t mean He will, Sometimes He holds us close, And lets the wind and waves go wild, Sometimes He calms the storm, And other times He calms His child.”
Thanksgiving is a change of mind. It is a movement to a real dependance upon God’s peace. The sea on which we daily sail are full of white caps. Our little boats are awash and we try so hard to keep the water out by bailing as quickly and efficiently as possible. The water filling our boats of despair destroy more than our clothes and gear. It destroys our peace. Today I will stop and take a breath and let God rule my heart. I will be one with my creator in worship. And I will be thankful.
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Saturday – Day 310 of 2021 – November 6
Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.’”
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Jesus was at his last meal with his disciples in the upper room. The ceremonial meal of the Passover was before them. All were leaning at table, awaiting for the Rabbi to start. In the quiet of the moment in that semi-dark room the first thing Jesus did was to give thanks. Lionel Hampton is quoted as saying, “Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” The thanksgiving of Jesus was not some memorized, scripted, and ceremonial dissertation developed over the course of Hebrew tradition. The thanks of Jesus came from the heart. He looked over the men and women which followed him in the good times and the not so good times. He remembered the miracles of healing and restoration. He remembered each call he had extended to the attendees at the meal. He knew what was going to happen over the next three days. Yet here I am amazed that Jesus gave thanks. The upper room was a place of Thanksgiving long before the holiday celebrated by America. Be thankful for God’s working in your life and the change it has made.
What are you thankful for?
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Sunday – Day 311 of 2021 – November 7
Ephesians 5:18-20 (NASB) “… but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father.”
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I have never been much for singing so others may hear my semi-melodious tones. My voice is more tuned for talking and less for singing. Nevertheless, my mind is drawn to the words of the great hymns of the church. In those moments my sacred song is not about suffering, or pain or even the ultimate end of my life, but a sweet contentment. God tells us godliness with contentment is great good stuff but being content is not always easy to do (1 Timothy 6:6). It’s often difficult because our natural bent is looking around toward others, wondering if what we have compares with what they have. Contentment is not about what we want, or even seem to need, but is the rational, and sometimes, irrational view of seeing life as more than our now. Too often we reserve our contentment, our praise to God only after answered prayers. Nothing wrong with praise afterward. It is a good thing. Yet I sing, although best under my breath, for the goodness of God. And God is good all the time. It is just his character.
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Monday – Day 312 of 2021 – November 8
James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
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I like good stuff. I teach a group of men in a weekly Bible study. They are more than students. They are my brothers in the faith. They listen, they comment, they even disagree, but they are still one of best of the perfect gifts that God has allowed me to receive. When we meet there is no hidden agendas, no hypocrisy, nothing held back. And it is beautiful. We can joke, and cry. We can learn and grow. Our personal perspective on how to live in the real world may be different from each other, but that is what makes it even better. Good stuff. I am thankful.
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Tuesday – Day 313 of 2021 – November 9
Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
California is well known for a susceptibility of earthquakes. I have been told there will be a “big one” someday. The expectation that it will shake the very foundations of the greatest buildings. There is a hidden fear of that day, but it has become something we have accustomed ourselves to. A month or two ago I was sitting very still in my best easy chair, and I felt an abrupt movement. It shook for, maybe ten seconds as I felt this rolling of my world. It was as if someone had walked behind me a nudged the back of the chair and then did not stop.
It may come and it may not. But for today I am a citizen of a kingdom that will never shake. It is built on a foundation that cannot be moved. And I am thankful.
What are you thankful for?
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Wednesday – Day 314 of 2021 – November 10
Psalm 95:1-5 (NKJV) “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth’ the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.”
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God built it for me! He did not have to. The goodness of God drove Him to create something which he could demonstrate his goodness. Christian’s do not usually think of God as this benevolent creator. We emphasize the sacrifice of Jesus and the resurrection. Many of us have not really spent time thinking about the simplicity of goodness. It’s like considering the blueness of the sky or the wetness of water. Yet the implications of God’s goodness are vast, so it is worth the effort. It is the basis of gratitude and thanksgiving.
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Thursday – Day 315 of 2021 – November 11
Exodus 34:6–7 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.
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Moses had made a request of God to see God’s Glory. Moses was answered, not with a great vision or a glorious sight, but simply prose. Words of thanksgiving. God not on display but a revelation of His character. This shows us that God’s goodness is revealed to us not though some great emotional high or revelation, but through His Word. It is revealed through His character. God’s mercy, forbearance, steadfast love, faithfulness, forgiveness, and judgment are good things. I do not need to be entertained by God, just forgiveness out of his mercy. And for that I am more thankful every day.
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Friday – Day 316 of 2021 – November 12
Psalm 107:1-3 (ESV) “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.”
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I have been accused of maniacal hair splitting when using the English language. Being bald makes this improbable, but I understand their viewpoint. I guess inwardly I want to use the exact word for the situation. When someone does not use the right word, I am the first to point it out. As an example, for this month of thanksgiving, I would like to change the name of the national holiday from Thanksgiving to better reflect what our nation really needs. Saying thank you around a table heaped with more food than we could possibly eat in on sitting is a good thing. But I want this day set aside to be more than words spoken once a year. I need more than a moment of thanks. I need to move beyond turkey and stuffing. It should be more than words. We need to instill a new idea. An idea a gratitude. Gratitude goes much deeper. Thankfulness is but the first step to the greater end of gratitude. Gratitude changes the soul. It is more than words. It is greater than us. This month let our thankfulness set the path to gratitude. It is a showing of appreciation of kindness given. We could all this “Gratefullity”.
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Saturday – Day 317 of 2021 – November 13
2 Corinthians 9:15 “And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
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I am not trying to be like the character in Seinfeld trying to create a new holiday of “Festivus for the rest of us.” “Gratefullity” is an extension not a substitute for Thanksgiving. When someone gives you something which is so outlandish, so over-the-top, there seems to be an inward desire to say more than thank you. We are overcome with emotion; it rocks our world. It is more than appreciation. It is more than words around a table. It is more than something you do to be polite. Gratitude drives you to action. Action toward the giver. Hugs, kisses, shouts from the innermost of our being. Join me this month and find the inner emotional gratitude because it is the reason for the one-day holiday.
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Sunday – Day 318 of 2021 – November 14
Psalm 9:1-4 “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.”
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David wrote these words to be sung somberly and mournfully. To the tune of “The Death of a Son.” It could have been written because David’s first son by Bathsheba was dead and he had fallen into despair. It was not to be a light and airy piece about shouting from the roof tops the praise to God. These words were sung in response to heavy grief. Things were not going well. Times were tough. There was discord in his Kingdom. Life while comfortable, was full of disappointment and unrealized expectations. To borrow a line from a 60’s TV show, “Gloom, despair, excessive misery, if it were not for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” 2020 and 2021 have not been the best for us all. Masks, shots, and social distancing seems to have taken the zest from life.
Yet today, I will not be overcome by the dirge of the world and simply “give thanks with all my heart, for all that God has done. I will sing the praises of God. I will keep on keeping on; always looking forward and not back.
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Monday – Day 319 of 2021 – November 15
1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.”
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Why thanksgiving? It is a tradition from the American founding population in New England in response to surviving hard times with the gracious help of the native peoples of the area. We will gather around a table and eat turkey, and gravy to celebrate their survival in hard days. That sounds a dry as the turkey will be if it is left in the oven too long. My thanksgiving this year will be spent with family. We will talk about old times and laugh and kid one another. Nevertheless, has the act, the ritual, the tradition, the ethnically appropriate food of thanksgiving become the replacement of the joy of survival. Absolutely I will be thankful for my kids and kin. I will be thankful for the bounty set before us that day. I will be thankful I have lived another day. I need it to be more about gratitude and less about the trappings. It must be about God, and His mercy. Turkey and cranberry jelly will come and go, but God is good and his mercy lasts forever.
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Tuesday – Day 320 of 2021 – November 16
1 Timothy 4:4-5 “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”
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Thank you, Lord, for the broccoli in my life. I don’t like the taste and the texture of this green noxious flower. Lord I am looking for a loophole here. I acknowledge it is good because you said so. You created it and nothing is rejected if I give thanks. This is tough for me. How do I give thanks for something that comes into my life which I simply have distain and dislike for? How can I be thankful for something which puts my teeth on edge?
I guess the key is knowing that like everything in my life of which I disagree and detest, it is there for more than making me feel sick. Broccoli is not out to get me. So, I simply have to give it up to God and say a little prayer, “Thank you God.” The key is keeping gratitude at the forefront of our lives.
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Wednesday – Day 321 of 2021 – November 17
Jonah 2:9 “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”
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Jonah’s grateful praise in the belly of a huge fish. Among the gastric juices and smells beyond belief, Jonah prayed. In total darkness and enveloping squishiness, Jonah was left with only one thing. He could not get out of the situation. He could not shorten the captivity. Feelings of his world being delegated to the belly of a whale were of isolation, rejection, loneliness, despair, and, hopelessness. He starts is prayer with, “I am in distress”. The end of the prayer states, “Salvation comes from the Lord.”
There have been times my own study room feels like the walls are closing in on me. I write, I pray, I study, but there are times I see the futility of my efforts. I feel as though some great fish has swallowed me up and I am in distress. Yet, like Jonah I come to a place of thanksgiving because my salvation comes from the Lord as well.
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Thursday – Day 322 of 2021 – November 18
2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
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I am not rich by my peers’ standards. I have to be careful about my dimes and nickels. I support the work of the church; I help out my children when they are in need. If someone needs some spiritual advice and asks for it, I will answer the best I can. But once and while I am founding wanting just a little more. To be enriched in every way.
Sure, I would like a new computer, and to have the materials to build a deck and gazebo in my back yard. There are things I think I need. Someone in church asked me for a few bucks for gas to get home, I did not think about it, I did not weigh my need against theirs and I did it. I guess I am content in whatever state in which I find myself. And the result is thanksgiving to God.
Friday – Day 323 of 2021 – November 19
Isaiah 12:4-5 (NASB) “And on that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.” Praise the LORD in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.”
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Isaiah was a prophet to a people that were about to be over run by a cruel and oppressive nation led by the ruthless king Sennacherib. The prophet preached the coming overthrow was a direct result of the wickedness and sinfulness of his homeland. Nevertheless, he also preached there was light at the end of the tunnel. That the nation would come out of this captivity, while not stronger as a nation, but stronger spiritually.
There are times in our lives that things just happen. Pandemics, inflation, isolation, political disagreements, homelessness, poverty, and the like, all happen and we wonder why. I am not saying like Isaiah they are all caused by God to punish my country, but we will get though it all. There will be a day when we can give thanks to the LORD and call on His name. We will praise the LORD in song and proclaim his lovingkindness to the world.
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Saturday – Day 324 of 2021 – November 20
Colossians 1:2-4 “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
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The Oxford Dictionary defines the word grateful as “showing an appreciation of kindness.” being thankful is a feeling and being grateful is an action. It is an easy thing to sit at a table and say we are thankful. In a few days most of us will gather with others and celebrate a national holiday. A day of Thanksgiving where we stop for a moment and acknowledge something greater than ourselves. Surrounded by family, friends and food we will experience a squishy feeling of thanksgiving. Gratitude goes much deeper than this. It is a state of being. Gratitude is where you are empowered to do something. It could be a hug. It could be a note of appreciation. It could be saying you are sorry. It could be an acknowledgement of what achievement. It could be taking the time to write our your thanksgiving prayer so it is full of meaning and love. It could be a thousand things. But the key here is it is a call to action. Action which is prompted by thanksgiving.
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Sunday – Day 325 of 2021 – November 21
2 Chronicles 5:13 – “The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.””
Gratitude is more than just the feeling of thankfulness. Being thankful is the first step, and we have to have that initial feeling to build upon. We build upon it by redirecting our focus into making gratefulness an intrinsic part of our lives 365 days a year. Gratitude requires us to stay alert of the role of others in our lives. This is different from the fleeting nature of the act of a mere ‘thank you’ or feeling thankful one day of the year. Through gratitude, we get to make a sense of our lives and learn to credit our loved ones with the appreciation they deserve.
Monday – Day 326 of 2021 – November 22
Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
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Whether you are going to work, listening to the radio, watching television, singing a song or a hymn or a spiritual song, in a meeting, talking with your boss or our spouse, dealing with the pain of others or yourself, or just sitting; do it all in the name of Jesus. There is no mundane task in the Kingdom of God. There is no little thing that is outside of becoming an occasion for giving thanks. “All things”, is an all encompassing and broad inclusionary concept. Hard times, good times, and simply “BLA BLA” times, they all are things that require a change of viewpoint. A gratitude attitude.
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Tuesday – Day 327 of 2021 – November 23
Psalm 42:5 -Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior, and my God.
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Is Thanksgiving a celebration of the absence of gratitude the rest of the time? Is it nothing more than a single day of celebration? Is this time set apart for my family to be filled with joy, and vast quantities of food only a once a year event. Is giving thanks something, I have to save all year for this day? There have been, there are, and will be, some great times in our lives. What would make this Thanksgiving great this year? How can I make it special and start something which is ongoing? Then I will change my thanksgiving into gratitude. Being thankful is the first step toward the reduction of all that disturbs me. I will change my focus from thanks to gratitude. I will put my hope in God.
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Wednesday – Day 328 of 2021 – November 24
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
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The National Science Foundation reports the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those thoughts 80% are negative and of these negative thoughts 95% are repetitive. I am not average. I refuse to be one of the those who fall prey to negativity. Yes, there are thousands of reasons and circumstances that could drag me back out of my positivity, but, I don’t have to go. I will praise, and be thankful for God. I dwell in the beauty of my world. I will dwell on the love and support of friends. I will be positive about my world.
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Thursday – Day 329 of 2021 – November 25
Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
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The last book of the bible was written by the self-proclaimed loved of Jesus, John. It is a sometimes-strange picture of times to come. It speaks of books which are sealed with seals, of a man who has seven horns and seven eyes, and the purpose of God. Today we celebrate Thanksgiving. Another year going quickly into oblivion. It has been full of disappointments, and joys. A year of tremendous ups and downs. We wonder what the future holds. We want to know the why of it all.
I figured it out quite a few years ago. In the end there will be a great awakening. A day when the reasons will be revealed. A day when thanksgiving will be an ingrained attitude. A day when we will join the angels in heaven in praise and blessing and honor, and glory and powerful thanksgiving. So today as you sit around your evening meal, for God’s sake, be mindful of the God who loves you
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Friday – Day 330 of 2021 – November 26
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
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The key to keeping gratitude at the forefront of our lives is not just thinking about how all that we have and saying thank you. It’s about living out our lives in gratitude through the simple things we do every day. Gratitude is the manifestation of love, devotion, and commitment towards those who mean the most to you. The good things. The perfect things. It encompasses shared experiences, shared love and an understanding that the universe has conspired to keep us happy and help us understand how connected we are to others.
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Saturday – Day 331 of 2021 – November 27
Colossians 2:6 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
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You don’t need to feel like thanking God before you do. Thanking God in hard times is not always easy. Hard and difficult times come to us all, but how you come out at the end of those times is determined by your attitude. A grateful attitude will help you stay the course of the time and eventually lead to victory. But an attitude of complaint, self-pity, doubt and fear will only cause even more of the same. God never promises that you will not experience hard and difficult times, but He did promise to be with you all through those times. And thanksgiving is one way your express your confidence in God’s word at such times. It is a way of activating and releasing the divine presence over your life at those hard times.
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Sunday – Day 332 of 2021 – November 28
Psalm 46:3 “Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”
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Most of the thoughts and references to praise, thanks, and gratitude, are in response to environments that are less than ideal. Life must be more than the prose of Shakespeare saying, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” God, my God is in the middle of my life. He gives me meaning. He gives me hope. He gives me purpose. He gives me life. He gives me the want to of thanksgiving and gratitude.
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Monday – Day 333 of 2021 – November 29
Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him.”
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Should we thank God in all circumstances? Are we “instructed” to thank God? It is a mandate? Appreciating God and giving Him credit in good times, thanking God and glorifying Him for His wonderful gifts and graciousness and the great things He has done for us — this is understandable. But many struggle to find the reason to thank Him during suffering, tragedies, when a close relative dies at a young age, loneliness, losing a job or house, depression, worldwide devastation, heartaches, cancer, and everything else. Some would is God still in control?
The Christian faith includes thankfulness is a mode of living and being. It’s because God is love that we believe nothing happens to us that doesn’t contribute ultimately to our good. So we suffer patiently even the bad things, out of love for Christ, receiving them with rejoicing and thankfulness to the God who brought us into being by an act of love. A thankful spirit is the most basic trait of a Christian.
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Tuesday – Day 334 of 2021 – November 30
Romans 11:36 “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
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Revelation here after working through scriptural references to both gratitude and thankfulness: Most are simple admonitions to do it. No long drawn out systematic theological development of inferred thoughts. Just examples and admonitions. Examples from those who were going through hard times and giving thanksgiving and praise to the creator. And admonitions just to do it. So this month has been one focused on thanksgiving. For most it has been a tough month. Finances, relationships, health, politics, continual demands upon limited resources. But for me I will simply be thankful. I will continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
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