Thanksgiving

Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I am thankful to my God, the giver of all good things. I am grateful and honored to serve a God so great and mighty that He doesn’t need me, or anyone else; a God so compassionate, merciful, and loving that he takes me, fills me, loves me, and uses me. I am thankful for Jesus Christ; for his ultimate sacrifice and his love. I am thankful for his example and his willingness to serve. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit, for the way he works in my heart and in the lives of those around me, and for the miraculous ways I expect to see him work in the future. I am thankful for the Bible, God’s thoughts on paper. I am thankful for the way it instructs and directs our lives.

I am thankful for a family whose love and support is unconditional. I am thankful for parents who took to heart the command to “train up a child in the ways of the Lord, so that when he is old he will not depart from it.” I am thankful for a Dad who models the fatherly attributes of my heavenly Father; who taught me to be strong and brave, honest and transparent, and who showed me how to live with passion; a dad who taught me to protect my mom and sister, and those who need a shield. I am thankful for a Mom who lived by Proverbs 31, a woman whose character brings herself and her family praise at the city gates; a mom who taught me to be sensitive to the needs of others, who taught me to share, and showed by example that our lives are not our own. I am thankful for a sister who isn’t afraid; a sister who won’t compromise on the big stuff, and won’t sweat the little stuff; a sister whose love is so great that she was willing to lay down her life; who is fierce and gentle at the same time; a sister who is okay being second on my list, because she knows God is first. I am thankful for a brother who is always there for me and who is a husband and a father first. I am thankful for grandparents who pray, who care, and who listen. I am thankful for a niece and nephew that bring pure joy to my life; who can make any face smile and any day good. I am thankful for my extended family, and for the bonds that only grow stronger with time and distance.

I am thankful for friends that know and understand me, even when I sometimes don’t understand myself; friends that build me up, hold me accountable, and sharpen me - as iron sharpens iron; friends that I can laugh and play with, and study God’s word with; friends that stick closer than any brother; friends that I would storm the gates of hell with; friends that I would die for.

I am thankful for fellow missionaries of like-minds and like-hearts; people who encourage me with their dedication and selflessness; people who challenge me with their faith and obedience; people that don’t hesitate, don’t waiver, and seek God’s glory over their own.

I am thankful for countless prayer supporters who faithfully and consistently bring my name and my needs before the throne of God.

I am thankful for a church that teaches the Bible and pastors that seek the praise of God and not men. I am thankful for people who believe in me, and who were willing to give an inexperienced and under-qualified guy a chance to lead.

I am thankful for health and for a sound mind.

I am thankful for a country where I can worship openly, without fear of persecution. I am thankful for freedom and choices.

I am thankful for a purpose and mission in this life.

I am thankful to work for an organization whose purpose is to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commission.

I am thankful for a God that uses the weak, the poor, and the rejects of this world. I am thankful and humbled to be a part of what He is doing around the world, calling those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation to himself. I am thankful that He has given me life, and given it to the full. His promises are most definitely true! I give thanks to the Lord, and praise his holy name.

Psalm 105:1-2
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

Psalm 118:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.