My Daily Pause

¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

The world will slow down a bit in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. For most it will be the observance of the day off – or even the whole weekend for some – rather than the act of returning thanks to our Lord. Thanks giving is an act that should be a part of our daily routine. Maybe it doesn’t seem like it, but there is always a reason to be thankful. Matthew Henry, the well-known Bible scholar and commentator recorded some remarkable words in his journal one night after he was mugged:

“Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

Can you use the last thing that went wrong, or that you didn’t like, and make a list of four things about it that you can be thankful for?

With Thanksgiving on our minds, it is an excellent time to begin a new habit to return heartfelt thanks on a daily basis. Paul had much to say on the subject: Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:15; 1 Timothy 5:5.