George Washington’s 1782 Thanksgiving Proclamation expresses our nation’s dependence on the Lord God by giving credit to Him for every victory and success.
You see, our forefathers and our founding fathers believed the Bible, and they knew its author, God. And so, no matter what they went through, and it was some really tough stuff, they maintained an attitude of gratitude.
In a couple of days, most of us will be sitting around a table filled with all sorts of good stuff to eat as we celebrate Thanksgiving. But what I find sad is that we only do this once a year. Why am I sad? Well, for one reason I really like Turkey and all the fixings. But the real reason is because we should be thankful all year long.
And so we need to be grateful, not just on this special day, but all year long.
To the church in Thessalonica, Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
What I believe is that when we have this attitude of gratitude, God will make our messes into His message of hope, and our tests will become His testimony. And we will no longer see the glass half full or half empty, but rather we’ll see the glass running over.
Dennis Lee is Senior Pastor at Living Waters Fellowship, Mesquite, Nevada. He presently has two books, “From Here to There: A Journey to Spiritual Transformation,” and “Wells of Living Waters,” He also writes a religious column for a local newspaper entitled, “Rediscover the Bible for Life,” along with daily devotionals and thoughts that he posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Living Waters Fellowship’s Website
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Yes ,daily practice of thankfulness, transforms daily life, builds a stronger faith, and has the power to improve one’s circumstances. Gratitude is a way of seeing life that helps one notice good even in difficult times. True gratitude is a practice that is demonstrated through actions like kindness, patience, and helpfulness, and is a necessary component for spiritual growth and healing.
Your Friend – His servant,
Isaac Otieno
Thank you Isaac, it is transformational
You are so right we should start every day with Thanksgiving. We are so blessed and we should feel that every morning we rise from our bed
Thank you, Deb, unfortunately we don’t see how blessed we really are, especially seeing what Jesus did on the cross for us. Take care and God bless.
As I read this, I realize that, although we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control how we view them and our response to those circumstances. Thanksgiving and gratitude are a choice. In regards to turning our tests into testimonies, and our messes into God messages, I am reminded of the apostle Paul while he was in prison with Silas, having been beaten and chained up in their cell, at midnight, they chose to pray and sing praises to God in the midst of all that. Then, as a result, we see by the end of that chapter after the prison doors flew open, God used Paul Silas to minister to the prison guard, and he and his whole family were saved. (Read Acts 16:25-34)
Debbie, we choose how we react to the situations we find ourselves in. We are told that it is the will of God that we always get thanks. Thank you for your response, please take care and God bless.