I love Thanksgiving.  The good food, time with family, and football are enjoyable.  I even love the name – Thanksgiving.  It boldly declares the purpose of the day.  Let’s give God thanks today!

We are to be thankful all the time, but it is human nature to look at what we lack instead of what we have.  This creates a feeling of loss and dissatisfaction.  Furthermore, we have a short memory when it comes to God’s blessings and people’s sacrifices for us.  Add that to a sense of entitlement and we have a recipe for ingratitude!

There is a simple recipe for gratitude.  Realize that you deserve nothing and that every good thing in your life is a gift from God.  Consider that things could always be worse if God was not caring for  you.  Compare your life now to how terrible it could be.  Things could always be worse.  This awareness creates a profound sense of thanksgiving.

[shareable]There is a simple recipe for gratitude. Realize that you deserve nothing and that every good thing in your life is a gift from God.[/shareable]

Let’s look at 3 areas of gratitude we can be thankful for today.

Salvation

Isaiah 64:6  “But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf; And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

118:21  “I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, And art become my salvation.”

2 Corinthians 9:15“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

1 Corinthians 15:55–57  “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ”“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. ”“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thank God for salvation today!  We each deserve to be in Hell right now.  That is what we have earned.  This very minute we should be feeling the tormenting flames of judgement rather than planning a large meal.  But thanks be to God there is salvation through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  Don’t ever get too far away from Calvary.  Visit often and stay until your heart is overflowing with gratitude.

Situation

1 Thessalonians 5:18  “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Thank God in your situation today!  I realize that life is not perfect.  I understand that some reading this are in very tough circumstances.  We don’t thank God only when things are great.  We have plenty of reasons to thank Him in any situation if we are looking at the blessings.

Consider what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:11.

“Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”

He did not have a perfect life, but He focused on how God was enriching him instead of all the trouble he was facing.  Look at a short resume’ of the difficult situations Paul had gone through!

2 Corinthians 11:23–28  “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

Talk about a rough life!  Paul had so many reasons to complain and feel neglected by God, but He looked at the privileges of being God’s son and servant instead.  Life’s trouble fades to insignificance in the light of God’s blessings.  Praise God in your situation today!

[shareable cite=”Paul E Chapman”]Life’s trouble fades to insignificance in the light of God’s blessings.[/shareable]

Substance

Thank God for your substance today!  We live in a materialistic world.  The value and productivity of one’s life are measured by the things they have accumulated.  In other words, we all feel like we need more stuff.  We feel we need bigger, better, more….   Expensive houses, cars, clothing, toys, etc. fill our thoughts.  We compare what we have to what other people have and often feel left out.  Why is God blessing them and not us?  Why does it seem that unsaved people have more than God’s people?  Sometimes we struggle to pay the rent and buy groceries while others have more than enough.

Don’t measure your life by your substance.  Life is so much more than that.  You don’t need more of the world’s things – You need more of God!  Learn to be content with what God has given you.  Happy is the man who wants what He has.

Philippians 4:11–12  “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

There will be times when you have a lot.  There will be times when you have a little.  Don’t let your substance become the measure of God’s goodness.  He is good all the time.  He has blessed you greatly.  Count your blessings.

[shareable]Don’t measure your life by your substance. It is so much more than that. You don’t need more of the world’s things-You need more of God![/shareable]

God is enough.  He will never leave you, nor forsake you.  That is the reason we can live without covetousness and be truly happy.

Hebrews 13:5  “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Have a great thanksgiving!  May our Gracious God receive much honor and thanks today.  He is worthy!