Thankful for God's Blessings

by Dr. Paul Chappell

"I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment."

Psalm 9:1-7

The day of Thanksgiving shouldn't go by without a time of giving thanks.

William Bradford was the first governor of Plymouth Colony. He journeyed to the new world on the Mayflower, endured the harsh winter with little food, and banded the people together to thank God for His blessings after their first harvest. Here is his proclamation to the people of Plymouth:

To All Ye Pilgrims: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now, I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.

Bradford realized that the crops, meat, and protection from disease wasn't a result of their own doing. It was a blessing from God Almighty. Though they had been through difficult times, God had spared them and blessed them with provision.

Sometimes we can be blinded to God's blessing in our lives. We have become so accustomed to modern conveniences, new technology, and provisions that we feel we deserve them-they are our right. But truth be told, we deserve nothing more than eternal punishment for the sins we commit. Nothing we have has been deserved.

God has blessed us in ways we can't even begin to understand. Compare your life to those of the colonists. You have a roof over your head; many of them did not that first winter. You have food whenever you desire it; many of them died of starvation. You have a doctor, hospital, and medical care if you get sick; many of them died of disease and plague. You have transportation; many of them walked miles to find food/shelter. Yet the colonists took time to thank God for His blessings of life, freedom, and provision.

However you spend Thanksgiving Day, one activity should be common among all of us. We should all take time to give God thanks for all He's done. We've looked at many reasons to be thankful over the course of this month, and today we have another one-God's blessing. God has so mightily blessed us beyond what we deserve. Thank Him for it today.

As you cook dinner, relax, or spend time with family, don't forget to take time to thank God. Thank Him for the food you eat, the comfort you enjoy, and the family you love. Thank Him for the salvation you possess. Thank Him that no matter what enters your life, He is by your side.