Sunday's Specialty

Psalm 136:1

 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Good morning, everyone!

This is another Special Sunday the Lord has blessed us to enjoy. I awoke this morning with the subject of thankfulness on my mind. A grateful heart is a great possession. God has poured blessings on us too many to number, so my aim today is to provoke us to offer more thanks to Him.

For starters, how many days do we thank the Lord for our senses? Do we start our days thanking Him that we can see, hear, smell, taste and feel? When was the last time we thanked Him for a sound mind? Are we guilty of taking these seemingly small but very important blessings for granted? Let's take some time today to thank God for these benefits.

If our family is near us, be thankful. If we have a family and they are not near us, be thankful. If we have a spouse to have and hold, be thankful. If we have children and grandchildren near, be thankful. Let's be thankful for family today.

Our possessions came to us because of God's blessings. When was the last time we thanked God for clothes to wear, food to eat, a car to drive, and a house in which to live? Let's be thankful today that we have been blessed with all these things.

And last, but definitely not least, how thankful are we that we have been born again of the water and of the Spirit? When was the last time we thanked God for salvation - for repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost? (John 3; Acts 2). My challenge to all of us today is to thank God for these very important blessings.

The late Carroll McGruder wrote a beautiful song some years ago, and it has been sung in many churches. Its message remains relevant today:

Thanks

by Carroll McGruder

Verse One

I give You thanks for the strength You give

To simply carry on

Through life's toils and tests, in the worst and best

I'm never left alone

You are always right beside me

Hear me every time I pray

Since I first began, You've been my dearest friend

And I just want to give You thanks

Chorus

Thanks, thanks, I give You thanks

For all You've done

I am so blessed, my soul has found rest

Oh, Lord, I give You thanks

Verse Two

I give You thanks this moment

And I will continually

For each day I live, Your grace You give

I'm blessed abundantly

I can't forget that moment

When in my life You made such a change

Since the Spirit came, I've not been the same

So I give You all my thanks

Here are a few quotes to go along with today's blog post:

"God gave you a gift of 84,600 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say thank you?" - William Arthur Ward

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend." - Melody Beattie

May we all be stirred to start each day from here on out with a thankful heart! We have been given much, so let's show gratitude to our Great God for all our blessings!

Lord willing, we'll meet again tomorrow for another spoonful!