Devotions
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I have been thinking a lot about it lately. I find myself thanking God for everything around me, big or small; the ability to breathe, walk, hear, and see. I thank him for the trees, the roads we drive on, clean water, clean air, my job, my purpose in life…you name it. I thank God for the squirrels, rabbits, birds, and every living creature that helps to balance our eco-systems.
Next Monday is Memorial Day in the United States. Originally this day was called Decoration Day. This name came from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags in honor of those who lost their lives fighting for this nation. We will all pause from our regular routines to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Someone shared a story about a woman named Pam once worked in downtown Chicago. Every day on her way to work she encountered a heavy-set, middle-aged woman in a shabby coat, soliciting spare change in front of an old brick church. She greeted everyone with a smile and a pleasant, “Good morning!” Pam almost always gave this woman some change. After almost a year of this routine, the woman in the shabby coat disappeared. Pam wondered what had happened to her.
As we come to the close of yet another year, let us take a moment to pause, slow down and reflect on the year we have had. Perhaps there were times this year when life was a struggle, when suffering seemed too much to bear, and confusion overwhelmed you; times when “being grateful” seems to make no sense. But God’s word says, give thanks (anyway), for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Perhaps you have heard those horrific stories of people who have been kidnapped and held captive for many years, and then been released by some miracle. Our hearts rejoice with relief and gratitude that they found freedom at last. Quite often, a strong bond develops between the rescued and the rescuer. The rescued never forget the person who rescued them.
Thank you God for the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the earth with its rich vegetation, the deep mysterious forests, the majestic blue ocean, the lakes and rivers teeming with sea-life, the birds of the air, and the vast array of animals of every size and color. Who are we that you care for us?
Have you ever wanted to know God’s will? Well here is one instance (and there are many), where the Bible makes God’s will crystal clear. It is God’s will that the believer should give thanks in all circumstances, for this is his God’s will in Christ Jesus. The believer gives thanks, not because the situation is good, but because it is God’s will. It means giving thanks in the hard times, as well as in the good times.
