On this Thanksgiving week, what could be more fitting than a reminder to join with the people of God throughout Scripture saying, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Thanksgiving for the Christian is more than a day. It’s more than getting together with family and eating turkey. It’s a way of life. It’s an every-day practice and act of worship.
What do you have to be thankful for today? All of us are in different seasons of life. Some of you may find that question really hard to answer right now. Others of you may have a list a mile long. No matter where you are in life, there are at least two things you can be thankful for today: He is good, and His love endures forever.
Not everything we face is good, but Romans 8:29 promises that He is working it for good for those who love Him. Goodness is part of God’s character. It’s who He is. Nothing He does or doesn’t do is done outside of His goodness. We can trust His heart. If you are struggling to see His goodness, ask Him for reminders. If you are seeing it all over the place, thank Him for each detail.
Nothing can separate us from His love. Paul says, “…neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor ANYTHING ELSE in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39, emphasis mine). What is it that makes you feel like God is distant, disappointed, or done? That very thing has not, and will not ever, stop God from loving you.
Tammy and I are so thankful for the Liberty family. We are so thankful for all that God is doing in and through our church. We are so thankful for His faithfulness through this difficult year, for the hope that one day we will have a glorified body with no more sickness, and for the hope of knowing we will get to spend eternity with our son and grandsons in heaven who have gone on before us. We are thankful to live in America, thankful that God saved us and called us to ministry, thankful for people God has put in our lives, and thankful to share another holiday season together.
We are praying that God would overwhelm you with His goodness and love this Thanksgiving and that you will find yourself overcome with gratitude for who He is and all He’s done. We love you!
P.S. If you are in a season where thanksgiving is difficult, I encourage you to watch last Sunday’s message on the glory revealed in suffering (www.libertylive.church/messages).
