“Let us come before Him with thanksgiving” – Psalm 95:2
We trust you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our team looks forward to an enjoyable time and taking a break from the pace of year-end ministry activity that has challenged our stamina. We have a great deal to be thankful for including the encouragement and support from friends like you. Praise God!
What are you thankful for during this Thanksgiving season? It is clear that the daily struggles of life can cause us to place our attention on the problems or challenges instead of rejoicing over the blessings. Annually we celebrate a day of Thanksgiving to honor the sacrifices made by our forefathers and to thank God for His abundant blessings.
Historian Dr. Franklin says that, in a time of great despondency among the first settlers of New England, it was proposed in one of their public assemblies to proclaim a fast. Remember the settlers had been through a very difficult time with the majority of their family and friends taken by the long hard winter where disease and hunger were constant reminders of this alien environment.
An old farmer arose, he spoke of their provoking Heaven with their complaints, reviewed their many blessings while showing them they had much to be thankful for. He moved that instead of appointing a day of fasting, they should appoint a day of thanksgiving. This was accordingly done and has remained a custom ever since.
The old farmer’s advice and the counsel of God’s Word is good teaching for all of us who want to focus upon the current crisis in our lives. In Philippians 4 the Apostle Paul exhorts us to be thankful. This was a man under constant attack by his Jewish friends for his new found beliefs, ship wrecked and stranded, chastised and beaten for his convictions, yet not worried about anything but how he could thank God for his blessing and ability to serve our Lord. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” – Philippians 4:6 (emphasis added)
From God’s perspective it doesn’t matter who is attacking us, what the win/loss record of our favorite team may be, what financial difficulties we are facing, or when we get the next job promotion. What matters most is how we see God’s goodness even during the hectic pace of a busy holiday season.
Rejoice my friend and be thankful. We are very thankful that God has placed you as a partner in this ministry.
May God Bless You! ~Jim Grassi