“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are
called in one body;
and be ye thankful.”
(Colossians 3:15)
I would like to
share with everyone
an email I received
the other day that
gave me such a
blessing. With his
permission, please
read what he wrote
below in its
entirety.
“Just read your very good work and words you wrote and posted on
Rapture Ready "A Day
Almost Forgotten.”
We have forgotten
about giving thanks
to our God for every
thing we have. I am
85 years of age and
my wife is..., shall
I just say close
behind. Today
is Thanksgiving Day.
We will spend this
day with just the
two of us. Our
children will have
their time with the
other side of the
family. We will all
be together on
Saturday. My wife
and I have spent the
first part of this
day reading the book
of Psalm and giving
thanks unto Our Lord
and God for all the
blessings He has
poured out on us.
My wife, on Feb 15
of 2012 will
celebrate her 32nd
year of being free
of breast cancer and
from all she had to
go through 32 years
ago. We praise
God for that.
She has had cancer
again, but all was
gotten and no more
signs. She has
had open heart
surgery and has had,
over the years,
about eight other
surgeries.
But, she is still
going and waiting on
me as if I was
helpless. I
spend most of my
time in a wheel
chair and along with
her have all sorts
of heart problems,
but through the
grace of God still
hanging in. I write
this because we give
thanks to God for
every thing we have
because we know it
all comes from Him.
We get stares when
we go out to eat
someplace and bow
our heads and hold
hands and give God
thanks for our food,
but this is just
what we believe we
should do.
Thanksgiving Day is
the almost forgotten
day. But
giving thanks to God
just for every thing
we have on a daily
basis has been
forgotten too. God
is good, God is
great, give Him the
praise.”
If this doesn’t
touch your heart,
then all we can do
is pray for you. Did
you notice what they
did on Thanksgiving
Day? Did you notice
what they do when
they go out to eat?
Did you notice his
last remarks? “God
is good, God is
great, give Him the
praise.” Even with
all their problems,
they both give God
the praise.
Thanksgiving Day is
behind us now, but
as he said, “But
giving thanks to God
just for every thing
we have on a daily
basis has been
forgotten too.”
There is so much we
have to be thankful
for, and it all
comes from God.
Being thankful is
not a “one day”
thing, but far too
many of us don’t
even take that one
day to be thankful.
One fellow responded
to me by stating
that he thought the
article was a guilt
trip on my part and
that I was making
assumptions and
judging. I never
ceased to be amazed
at these strange
responses that
arrive in my email
box occasionally.
Thankfully, there
aren’t that many.
Anyone with eyes and
ears can look around
them and see that we
have “generally”
become a nation of
unthankful people,
even so called
Christians. I
witness people
daily, whether in my job or my private life, who demonstrate very
little thankfulness.
To the contrary, I
see a great deal of
selfishness.
Another thing that
really jumps out at
me is just how few
Christians there are
who will ask God’s
blessing upon their
food in a
restaurant. I know
one man who is a
well known pastor in
our community who I
have never witnessed
asking God’s
blessing on his
food, and I have
seen him on many
occasions.
It isn’t just about
saying the blessing
or grace (whichever
you prefer to call
it) though. When
people are afforded
an opportunity to
thank the Lord for
anything, how many do so? Thankfully, several will, but
unfortunately, most
will not. Some will
even take the credit
for what God has
done.
It is true that
those who are not
Christians will
often have the
attitude of
non-thankfulness,
but not always. Even
non-Christians can
be thankful. They
just don’t realize
the source. Many
Christians, knowing
the source, are
thankful, but many
are not. So what is
the general
consensus? I hold to
my belief, by
observing our
society that few are
thankful for the
many blessings that
come their way.
I am reminded of
what the Apostle
Paul wrote to
Timothy concerning
the last days, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers,
disobedient to
parents,
unthankful
(emphasis mine),
unholy, Without
natural affection,
trucebreakers, false
accusers,
incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those
that are good,
Traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers
of pleasures more
than lovers of God;
Having a form of
godliness, but
denying the power
thereof: from such
turn away.” (2
Timothy 3:2-5) He
said that these will
be the traits and
actions of mankind
in the last days.
The last days are
here.
As a whole, this
world throughout
this earth, is not
only unthankful, but
outright demanding
for anything that
will fulfill their
own greed. Yes,
there are thankful
people, but the
percentage is
definitely very low.
Some will thank God
for His blessings
even during
troubling times, as
Job did, but most
will curse God and
say, “Why me?” It is
also true that
usually when
everything is going
well in our lives,
and no problems to
be had, most very
easily forget God.
Let us be thankful
for all that He has
done for us. “Now
therefore, our God,
we thank thee, and
praise thy glorious
name.” (1
Chronicles 29:13)
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
My articles are
posted at
“Pre-Rapture
Commentary”
http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
and many are also
posted at “Rapture
Ready”
http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html.
