Happy Thanksgiving!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1) Give Thanks

Christians have much to be thankful for! We ought to be the most gracious people on earth because of the joy and forgiveness we have experienced in Jesus Christ! How much has thankfulness found its ways into your prayers? When was the last time you spent just thanking God for all of the wonderful blessings he has poured into your life?

2) Govern your Circumstances with Thankfulness

As Christians we will face hardship. We cannot control what will happen to us, but we can control how we react to hardship. Like Chuck Swindoll has said, ""Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." Are you thankful in all circumstances?

The following was read in HOME LIFE: "Some years ago in Nashville, Tennessee, my wife wanted to buy some additional items for our Thanksgiving dinner. The cart was almost full and we were about ready to go when my wife was addressed by a man wanting to know how big a turkey he ought to buy. Then he wanted to know how to cook it. My wife told him patiently as much as she could standing in the market. 'But could you tell me what I ought to cook it with?' At that point my wife more fully understood the man's need for assistance and went up and down the aisles selecting the things he needed for a good dinner. She told him how each should be cooked. As we turned to go the man with a great deal of emotion sought to express his gratitude for my wife's courtesy. I think I shall never forget that man's final remarks: 'We have just come from the cemetery where I buried my wife. The children have just lost their mother, but I don't want them to lose their Thanksgiving dinner—we still have much for which we are thankful.'"

3) Glorify God with a Thankful Life

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (see above) says that thankfulness is the will of God. As we fulfill the will of God we bring glory to him and experience greater joy. It is therefore true that a thankful heart is a happy heart!

May we bring glory to God this week with our thanksgiving!

- Bro. Dave