Thanks

Psalm 28:⁷ The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

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We are approaching one of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving. I love the family, food and noncommercial aspects of the day and I love that its purpose is to express thanks! When we start counting the many reasons to be thankful, we range from personal needs met to the blessings of family, children, grandchildren and good friends. We are grateful to live in a free land, where we can choose our profession and where we are able to worship freely. But I think the greatest reason for thanksgiving is the reality of God and especially the personal reality of God within our lives. The Psalmist captures it well, above, when he describes the Lord as his "strength and shield"...his energy and his protection. We truly need one who is greater than we are and the Psalmist has discovered the personal benefits of knowing and leaning on Him. The psalm captures this in the words: "I trust him with all my heart". I suppose that there is only one way to really experience the Lord properly and that is to rely on Him in a total way...letting go of self and of any other lesser sources of strength, apart from the Lord. For then we will know that He is the one who carris us. The Psalmist expresses this: "He helps me, and my heart is full of joy". When we know who has helped us our heart knows where to turn to express thanks. And through the wonder of song, where emotion, spirit and mind all join we find the proper outlet to express thanks. I hope your Thanksgiving is more than a day or even a season and grows to be your daily experience with the Lord!

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blessings,

Rob Smith