Each year it saddens me how I fail to give thanks as I should, both as much as I should and as often as I should. I am thankful that we do have a holiday here in America that originated with the idea of giving thanks to God for His many blessings and His hand of Providence over us. We move from a time of thanking God for His abundant provision to thanking Him for the gift of His Son as we remember the incarnation of Christ, and then a thankfulness of new beginnings as one year winds to an end and a new year begins fresh and new.
I thank God for another year in blessing me here on the Jersey Shore. I thank Him for family and friends and for a wonderful Church family. I am thankful to God for each one of you. I have been blessed by your love and kindness to my family and me over the last two years. You have taught me much and I am grateful.
As we still remember giving thanks yesterday, I want to encourage you to enjoy Psalm 136 which gives in great detail how we should thank God for His many blessings. Rather than “cut and paste”, I enjoyed typing out each of the words of this Psalm so I could reflect on the thanks I owe to God. Give Him thanks as you read. Consider reading it out loud so you can not only see God’s Word but hear it as well.
Psalm 136
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.