Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.”
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

1 Chronicles 16:34-36

On the day when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to the people of Israel, David penned the words above to give thanks to the LORD. It was a special occasion, but notice that David wasn’t celebrating the Ark, but the LORD who rescues, redeems, and restores.

On Thursday, we will celebrate Thanksgiving in many of our homes. And, if we will take the time, I am sure that each of us has much to be grateful for this day. I’ve written about this before, but when I think of making a list, I am reminded of the hymn on page 309 in the hymn book I sang from growing up – “Count Your Blessings.”

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

For many of us, it has been a tumultuous year (or more). There are personal conflicts and broken relationships. This morning I met with a younger lady who mentioned the imminent death of her oldest son’s father and this evening we met with friends who are facing the challenge of cancer in their family. These are “life’s billows” that discourage us, and at times, we may think that “all is lost” at the moment. It isn’t and as one of our friends reminded us tonight, it is the impact we make on the lives of others that will surely last.

Before Thursday comes around, take a little time and give some thought to the blessings God has brought into your life.