For What Were You Thankful last Thanksgiving Day?

© 2014 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

Each year we celebrate a day which has been named “Thanksgiving Day.” For what were you thankful this past Thanksgiving? Are you still thankful for it, or has that thankfulness faded?

Many things deserve our thankfulness. Those who enjoy plentiful food should be thankful each day. Some have nice homes in which to live. Others have a car for each family member. God has even granted great worldly riches to a few individuals. Those of us who are healthy have been especially blessed. However, there are even greater reasons for thankfulness.

My wife is my sweetheart. As of this writing, God has granted us over 45 years of faithful marriage. As I awake each morning, my heart rises in thanksgiving to Him. Our love still continues to grow. Our children, also, have enjoyed faithful marriages to their original spouses. This is cause for great thanksgiving!

All of these things should generate thankful hearts to the Lord who has granted such great blessings. Likely, many of you paused to consider similar blessings this past Thanksgiving Day.

Yet there is another matter which makes the above blessings pale in comparison. Though each of us came into this world as a spiritually dead creature, full of sin and disobedience to God, God, Himself, provided a great gift which surpasses all other gifts that ever have been or ever will be. He sent His Son, Jesus, the Messiah. He, being God in the flesh, was born of a virgin, to die, and rise again, as a blood sacrifice to redeem all who come to Him in repentance and faith. All who have been redeemed by His blood cannot help but be thankful for this matchless gift which surpasses all others.

Without His gift, all of humanity would be condemned to an eternal burning darkness (Matthew 25:26-30, Mark 9:42-48). All who die rejecting or ignoring this gift will never benefit from it. They’ll pass into that eternal burning darkness and never again have anything for which to be thankful.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

Are you thankful for temporal blessings? More importantly, has the redeeming love of Christ drawn you to repent of your sins, and stirred your heart to eternal thankfulness?

 

You may leave comments for Tom & Kathy (website administrators) below.