Thanks: October 10, 2011

OCTOBER 10 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 10, 2011

THANKS

DEFINITION:

To express gratitude or appreciation; a grateful feeling.

SCRIPTURE:

“Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercies endure forever.” I Chronicles 16:34.

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107: 8-9.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” II Corinthians 9:15.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When the American colonies were first settled one man suggested that as a group they were dwelling too much on their problems. It was time to focus on their blessings. Thus we had the first thanksgiving celebration in America.

As Christians every day should be a day of thanksgiving. Just take a moment and list in your mind all the things that God has given you to be thankful for. Our health, our family, our salvation, our job, our home, our neighbors, our church, our Bible, our automobile and the list goes on and on. Many people in our world, in fact over 85%, do not have any where near the many things that we as Americans have to be thankful for. How much more then should we be thankful to God?

In Psalm 103:2 it reads: “Praise the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It is easy to forget all the benefits God has given us. How often do we really thank God for all He gives us?

As far back as we can remember we spent time every day praying and thanking God through prayer for His blessings. As a child we prayed before every meal, we prayed every morning and we prayed every evening before we went to bed. Christian parents have the responsibility of teaching their children the benefits they received from the Lord and to be faithful in thanking Him for them. In Psalm 103: 3-5 David reminds us of the benefits we receive. Be sure to read these to your children. We are thankful for the marvelous heritage we received from our Christian parents of being thankful which we in turn passed on to our children.

What about you? If you do not have that heritage now is the time for you to take time every day to thank God for His blessings and establish that heritage with your children. Our God is a loving God and yearns for your gratitude. And He will respond by multiplying His blessings upon your life if you just take the time to thank Him.

Have you thanked God recently for sending His Son to pay the penalty for your sins? Have you thanked God for the assurance that you have that He is in heaven preparing a place for you for eternity? The apostle Paul calls God’s gift of salvation and grace that he gave us by giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross as “GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT.” We should be so thankful for this gift that Paul says is above all else.

If you pause to think, you will be aware of how many benefits you have from God and that should give you cause to thank God. We need to remember with gratitude God’s many blessings.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

PRAYER:

Give me this day a spirit of gratitude to You dear God for all that You have blessed my life with. As a family may we begin today spending more time just to thank You for all the benefits we receive from You. Thank You for Your goodness in forgiving our sins, for redeeming us and giving us eternal life and for Your wonderful blessings to us. Thank You for satisfying my longing soul and for filling my life with your goodness.