We should always give thanks to God

My brother, my sister and I were fortunate to have grown up in a Christian home in Lavonia, Georgia, many years ago. Our mother made sure that we were carried to Sunday school every Sunday morning and our father would join us most Sundays for the morning worship service.

By being in Sunday school and later the church service, we were taught who God was and what he was like. All three of us responded to Christ in faith and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior before we were teenagers. Then, we were all baptized at First Baptist Church in Lavonia.

The Lord has been a part of my life since that time and during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I am always thankful that my mother and father were Christian parents. Thanks be to God who deserves the credit for letting this happen.

Sometimes I wonder about people who have not had this kind of experience. What do people who do not believe in God or worship and serve him do during this time of the year? When the meal is on the table and everyone gathers to enjoy the food that has been prepared, what happens then? Does anyone say a blessing and thank God for the food on the table?

Many people work hard all year long and bring home nice paychecks and have enjoyed many material goods all year long. During this time of the year, we should do something else besides giving thanks. We will eat great food, enjoy being with our family and friends, sit in our nice cars, know that we have closets full of clothes, but some folks will not thank God for these things.

If we are truly saying thanks, we must say thanks to someone. According to the Bible, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows.” If everything comes from God, it is certainly the right thing to do is to thank God.

It seems to me that we all should remember, especially during this time of the year, the Scripture that says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise, giving thanks to him and praising his name for the Lord is good and his love endures forever and his faithfulness continue through all generations.” Psalm 100, verses 4-5.

So, during this time of the year especially, let us give thanks to the one who deserves it. Let’s just look around us and see how God has blessed us. Even through bad times in our lives, he can bless us with the strength to make it through these bad times.

Let us all pray every day that God will continue to bless us and care for us and that all of us will give him the thanks and credit that he deserves.

Also, please pray for our nation every day that those in Washington will do all that they can to make our nation a Christian nation again.

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