Bountiful Blessings from a Gracious Giver

Today Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving. Many will eat turkey, spend time with family and friends, take naps, and watch football, but few will actually give thanks. Fewer still will give thanks to the true God, who is the one who bestows every good thing and every perfect gift. Christians will probably spend some time counting their blessings and thanking God for His abundant goodness. But thanksgiving should not be limited to the fourth Thursday in November. God commands us to be thankful as a way of life.

1 Thessalonians 5:18--in everything give thanks

Ephesians 5:20--always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father

Colossians 3:17--And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

So while thanksgiving is to be standard operating procedure for a Christian, it is appropriate on this day to spend some time contemplating God's bountiful blessings and thanking Him for them.

God has truly blessed me in so many ways.

I thank Him for His gracious gift of salvation. He opened my blind eyes to see my own helplessness and hopelessness, and made me a new creation in Christ. He continues to graciously work in my life, like a master artist lovingly and faithfully chipping away at my ugly selfishness, conforming me to the image of His Son.

I thank Him for His marvelous word, in which I can learn of Him, and see the depth of the riches both of His wisdom and knowledge.

I thank Him for the wonderful family He has so graciously given me. I thank Him for a godly, wise, steadfast, and faithful husband, who is my very best friend. I thank Him for three wonderful sons who love and serve the Lord. They are a marvelous testimony of God's amazing grace to me; they are such special men. I thank God for a godly daughter-in-law who loves the Lord and mothering our grandson. I love being encouraged spiritually by all of their blogs. I thank God for a soon to be (22 more days!) daughter-in-law, who God has so graciously brought into my son's life. We will soon have two beautiful daughters-in-law, inside and out. I thank God for a grandson, and pray that God will graciously work in his life to make him a mighty man of God.

I thank Him for the gracious blessing of fellowship. Last weekend we returned to San Antonio, where we had lived and my husband had pastored for 10 1/2 years. It was a joy to see many friends again, and to hear how the Lord was working in their lives. Even though we have been gone for almost 1 1/2 years, it was so easy to just pick up where we had left off, and enjoy sweet fellowship together.

Mostly I thank God for just being Himself. He is so awesome, absolutely holy, completely good, immensely powerful, infinitely wise, and totally loving.

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord, or can show forth all His praise? Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen." Praise the Lord! Psalm 106:1-2,48

Happy thanksgiving!