Today’s news reveal all the upheaval in war-torn countries with poverty and hunger, spread of diseases and destruction of homes and cities. Then people in our free country stay on negative terms about living here. The SNAP program allows low-income families to have necessities, the elderly have nursing homes for care (I don’t even know if any other country have these), job opportunities are here (but too many people aren’t willing to work), and so on… And then there are those who aren’t willing to get help with changing their attitudes and appreciating what we have. The oldest book is still read today that helps people see the silver lining in the cloud, hope, encouragement, and inspiration to better face whatever comes their way.

This book, the Bible, helps people find joy in any circumstance and it encourages everybody to love and respect everybody else. It amazes me what some publishers are doing with publishing this Book. They are leaving out parts that name what not to do (called sin), because people like to feel good about their lives— no matter what sins they are committing. And some are now saying there is no heaven nor hell, that it’s all in the mind, so sin won’t send to hell in the afterlife.

Anyway, it really helps us to be thankful for what we have. The Bible has 39 Scriptures that mention being thankful to God for all we have been blessed with. It seems awfully dangerous not to praise and worship the Creator. Read in the Bible what calamities may fall on us if we turn away from desiring peace, and love that our Savior has for us. Google the words thanksgiving and thankful in the Bible and be encouraged with what it says.. In Ephesians 5:20 encourages us to be filled with His Spirit, speaking to all in Psalms and praise. Because Psalms and hymns are full of praises to God, our speech should do nothing to down-grade the one who created the heavens and earth and us, too. (That’s like cursing parents for providing food, shelter, and basic needs—because it’s NEVER enough).

Matthew 11:25 teaches us that Jesus gives praise to the Father (God) for revealing divine truths to those who are childlike and humble, rather than to the wise and learned. It is a prayer of thanks that God has hidden these things from those who are self-righteous and revealed them to those with simple faith. This is part of Matthew 11 that speaks to God’s will and connects to Jesus’s invitation to find rest in Him.

I try to keep my faith simple by not explaining it in a preachy manner. When I study the simple life of Jesus and try to emanate Him, desires of the material things in this world loses its appeal to me. I stay thankful for my life, even though I have challenges like anybody. I just don’t spend time wishing things were different. Like I wrote at the beginning, the news reminds me I have it made, so to speak, when comparing our country to those overseas. We sure need to be thankful and pray for our country and its leaders. It certainly could be a whole lot worse! Plan to share blessings this Thanksgiving holiday.