Psalm 50:23
“He who sacrifices thanks offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and you were able to take some time to be truly thankful. I remember I was once asked to write down 10 things to be thankful for that didn’t include the basics like family, food and work. I was surprised how difficult that was (don’t judge me as inept, unless you have tried it!). Scripture has much to say about growing and maintaining a thankful posture. One of the starkest postures is found in I Thess. 5:18 “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Giving thanks in all circumstances seems a little over the top, don’t you think?! I must admit, I do find it hard to be thankful stalled in a traffic jam, waiting in the hospital emergency room, or slowly plodding through the Covid pandemic. Yet, if I stop and actually find things to be thankful for, I in fact start to snowball into an increasing mental attitude that can see how God is actually present in every circumstance…like He has provide the means for me to own a car (and pay for insurance!!), I live in a country where I have access to world class medical care and I am grateful for the new depths of faith and trust God is teaching me in the ebbs and flows of a pandemic. I therefore start to see how being thankful prepares or opens the way for God to reveal and demonstrate his relentless goodness in my life. So Ps. 50:23 teaches me that if I want to go on a God hunt in the rough and tumble of life it begins with thanksgiving- a deliberate choice to find things to be thankful for no matter what circumstances I am in. This thankfulness posture prepares my heart for God to show me His salvation at work in my life.

Grateful for you all and the opportunity to serve among you,

Pastor Cam