As two men were walking through a field, they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn't make it. Terrified, one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We're in for it!" John answered, "I can't. I've never made a public prayer in my life."
"But you must!" implored his companion. "The bull is catching up to us."
"All right," panted John, "I'll say the only prayer I know. My father used to repeat it at the table; 'O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful."
This humorous story suggests a valuable truth. No matter how severe the trial, Christian should give thanks in everything.
The following object lesson was given to us by Henry Ward Beecher:
If one should give me a dish of sand, and tell me there were particles of iron in it, I might look for them with my clumsy fingers, and be unable to detect them; but let me take a magnet and sweep through it, and how would it draw to itself the almost invisible particles by the mere power of attraction.
The unthankful heart, like my finger in the sand, discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day, and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings, only the iron in God's sand is gold!
Someone has said, "A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues." God describes in Romans Chapter 1, the first steps of a society's downfall. "Because although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened." Isn't it time we got back to the basics?
Happy Thanksgiving
Pastor John Giesbrecht
