Thank God

      A poor man was given a loaf of bread. He thanked the baker, but the baker said, “Don’t thank me. Thank the miller who made the flour.” So he thanked the miller, but the miller said, “Don’t thank me. Thank the farmer who planted the wheat.” So he thanked the farmer, but the farmer said, “Don’t thank me. Thank the Lord. He gave the sunshine, rain and fertility to the soil, and that’s why you have bread to eat.” As we enter the season of giving, showing our love to one another in special ways and giving thanks for the bounty we enjoy in this life, whether great or small, take time to remember where it ultimately all comes from. Regardless of how sophisticated, how advanced we may be scientifically, we still can’t create; we still can’t make a kernel of wheat. That has to come from God. God has supplied all the things we need in order to survive on this planet. “…Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) When it comes time to share and give thanks for the bounties in your life remember, first of all it’s not yours, it never belonged to you. We are simply caretakers of what we possess. All we receive in this life will eventually be passed on to someone else. Give in the spirit that you never possessed it. Be thankful for what you have; care for it, for it is not yours; and do good with all that has been given you by your Father.


      [Psalm 32] “…Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Blessed means, happy. The Psalmist, David, tells of the days he suffered as he concealed his sin and the guilt was literally killing him. To be blessed, David needed to confess his sin to God, “…I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord – and you forgave the guilt of my sin’.” The happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life is when I have no guilty conscience for the wrongs I have done. When I go to my Heavenly Father in prayerful confession, asking for forgiveness of my sins, I know I am forgiven and it’s time to move on, for what has been forgiven by God, has been forgotten forever. The greatest thanks we can give this season is thanks to God, who gave his Son as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of man. And all who believe and are baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, buried with Christ to rise and live a new life, are blessed, for their guilt of sin has been washed away (Romans 6:3-12 & Acts 22:16) “The Brush” by Chuck Millhuff: Life started like a canvas; And God started painting on me. But I took the paintbrush from Jesus; And painted what I wished to see. The colors I painted kept running; And the objects were all out of size; I had made a mess of my painting; My ways now seemed so unwise. So I brought my painting to Jesus; All the colors, the pieces so wrong; In the markets of the earth it was worthless; But His blood made my painting belong. He worked with no condemnation; Never mentioned the mess I had made. Then He dipped his brush in the rainbow; And he signed it, ‘The price has been paid’. When I gave the brush back to Jesus; When I gave the brush back to Him, He started all over life’s canvas to fill; When I gave to Jesus the brush of my will. He worked with no condemnation; He never mentioned the mess I had made. Then He dipped his brush in the rainbow; And He signed it, ‘The price has been paid’. I thank God for his renewing power of love and forgiveness.