“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:26
One reason many people fail to give thanks is that they don’t take time to reflect on the many blessings they receive from the hand of the Lord. Listed on page 3 of this issue is a small sampling of benefits of body and soul which He has provided for our enjoyment. Truly, we have many reasons to say:
“Thank You, good Lord!”
Oh, may we ne’er with thankless heart Forget from whom our blessings flow! Still, Lord, Thy heavenly grace impart; Still teach us what to Thee we owe. Lord, may our lives with fruit divine Return Thy care and prove us Thine. TLH, #567:2
Count your many blessings, name them one by one
A apples, agriculture, absolution
B books, beauty, Bible Class, Holy Baptism
C children, church
D dawns, doctors, dads
E electricity, education (especially Christian education), eternal life
F friends, flowers, fire, freedom, fun, faith and fellowship in Christ
G God and His saving gospel
H hope, home, humor, hinges, heaven
I immortality, incarnation, intellect, infinity
J Jesus my Savior, Jehovah, jets, joy
K knowledge of the true God revealed in Holy Scripture
L life, love, light, law and order, labor, lungs, laughter
M mother, memories, music, medicine
O opportunities for sharing the gospel
P prayer, peace, pets, pianos, progress, patience
Q spiritual questions and God’s answers in Holy Scripture
R romance, resurrection, retirement, rain
S sorrow, strength to endure trials, sacrifice, sunsets, Sacrament of the Altar
T truth, tongues to tell about Jesus, tomorrow
U umbrellas, unity in the Holy Christian Church
V victories, velcro
W worship opportunities, work, wages, waiting rooms, wheels, water
X all the extra blessings God gives me that I can’t remember
Y yesterday, you
Z zeal (of the Christian kind)
From the Editor: Around Thanksgiving time last year this article appeared as a daily devotion provided by some of our CLC pastors in Michigan. One way our local Bible Class used the devotion was by seeking to add to the listings after each alphabet letter. (To subscribe to these free devotions, go to: www.redeemerclc.info/devotional.html.)