Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

THANKSLIVING

This entry was posted on 09-11-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

"And be thankful" (Col. 3:15c NIV).

What a mouthful! "And be thankful." This is a vital reminder that we need every hour of every day. It is so easy to go through an entire day without expressing thanks to God (and others) for the blessings of the day. A thankless person seldom does a thankful deed. The practice of ingratitude makes one an ingrate. So Paul reminds us, "And be thankful - appreciative, giving praise to God always" (The Amplified N. T.).

Have you ever "counted your blessings?" I mean, get out a notepad and start jotting down everything you can think of to be thankful for. You will be amazed at how many pages you can fill. Now I like how Charles Williams translates this verse in his common sense "A Translation in the Language of the People." "And practice being thankful." Those who are truly thankful are those who make it a practice to be thankful. Daniel gave thanks to God three times a day - "as was his custom since early days" (Dan. 6:10). But we must also practice expressing our thanks to others, especially fellow believers. The way to do that (as a practice) is to go out of your way to speak to others, call them, write them, send them an email, visit them, do something nice for them. Practice random acts of thankfulness and you will become a thankful person. Thankfulness is not an option. It is an obligation.

Hymn: "Thanks for roses by the wayside, thanks for thorns their steps contain! Thanks for home and thanks for fireside, thanks for hope, that sweet refrain" Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow, thanks for heav'n-ly peace with Thee! Thanks for hope in the tomorrow, thanks through all eternity!" (Ludvig Storm)

Hymn: