Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart

Words to Ponder … Give thanks with a grateful heart … Morrow Mirror … November 24, 2013

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name" (Psalm 100:4).

Each of us at different times in our lives have or will fail to thank others for their kindness, whether with a word of grace, a card, or something of greater importance, we sometimes fail at even the simplest of things, such as to say thank you. We also, all too often, fail to thank God for our blessings.

I am reminded of a story of an old miser who protested to his neighbor. The story is dated, but the message still holds true.

The old miser said, "everything I have I got the hard way, by the sweat of my own brow."

"But who gave you the sweat?" asked his neighbor.

The old miser hung his head in guilty silence. He could not ignore the fact that God had given the "sweat," the strength to work hard and gain material wealth. [Pulpit Helps, Why Be Thankful (Published by AMG, Heavenword Inc., 1999)]

Yes, everything that we are or that we possess is because of God's loving kindness. Therefore, it is good for us all to pause at least once a year and say, "Thank You, God." Actually, everyday should be one of thanksgiving. Why? Because of spiritual and material blessings. Here is another story that puts perspective on why we should thank God for all our blessings.

Mrs. Green thanked Tom, the grocery boy, for delivering a loaf of bread.

"Do not thank me. Thank Grocer Jones," Tom smiled. "He gave me the loaf to deliver."

But when she thanked the grocer, he said, "I get the bread from Baker Brown. He makes it, so he deserves the thanks."

So Mrs. Green thanked the baker. But he told her that Miller Milligan should be given the gratitude. "Without Miller Milligan's flour, I could not make bread," Brown replied.

The miller told her to thank Farmer Foster because he made the flour from Foster's wheat. But the farmer also protested, "Don't thank me; thank God," Foster said. "If He did not give my farm sunshine and rain, I could not grow wheat."

Yes, even a common loaf of bread can be traced back to God, the Giver of "every good and perfect gift" (Josh. 1:17). [Ibid]

Let us thank God for the gift of "Thanksgiving", a day to pause and give thanks for all our blessings. Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Words to ponder...In Christian Love, your pastor and friend in Christ, Dr. Ed Judy