Psalm 116:17 – I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

I have a vivid memory of one particular day when I was ministering in Trenton, Ontario. The doorbell rang, and it was Lottie Jones Florist with a big bouquet from a member of the congregation. As if in answer to my unspoken question "Why… ?", the card read simply, "Just Because." The lady who sent it had no idea that I was going through a very distressing period in my ministry, and that I desperately needed encouragement. I took it as a sign of God's love, that He would motivate her to express her appreciation for my ministry at just the right time. How valuable it is to say, "Thanks!" And when it comes "out of the blue", when it's not expected, it vastly increases in value.

The "Thanksgiving" time of year reminds us to express gratitude to God for all of His good gifts. I'm sure it's very encouraging to Him when His people actually remember that we deserve nothing from Him, yet His abundant mercies never cease. I pity those members of our society who recognize no God to express appreciation to. How do such people say "thanks" for a beautiful sunset? What are you thankful for? I'm grateful to God for placing me in a congregation with wonderful people, warm-hearted, co-operative, generous, with such good morale and harmony. And I'm grateful for a Saviour who loved me and you so dearly that He would lay down His life for us.

What can we do in return? Recently I read about a woman who discovered that the man in the car ahead had paid her toll at the booth. He was already gone, so she couldn't pay him back. But she could have paid for the car behind her. God has paid the price for our sin and has been so good to us; we can't pay Him back, but we can do good to someone else. "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" Colossians 3:23

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for all your precious gifts. Give me the opportunity today to pass on your generosity to someone else. Amen.

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About the author:

Robin Ross <rross@telus.net>
Mission, British Columbia, Canada
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