Dear brothers and sisters and friends, do we belong to those people who have a desire in their hearts to give thanks to God?
For many it is not so. They view God’s works, but mindlessly. With their own eyes they see the miracle of how a small seed grows into a glorious head of grain, but they do not see the Creator, nor do they think about the fact that billions of people are fed in this way. The time of hunger is forgotten. After all, now they belong to the part of humankind that has enough to eat. Thankfulness often fades away in years of plenty. Thanksgiving is perhaps still something like a formal bow to be polite. We no longer harvest; we just produce and construct every day. Ultimately, that’s what we do. Who still honestly says: “The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season” (Psalm 145:15)?
Wherever natural disasters, wars, diseases, and hardships strike, effective institutions provide relief. For this reason, many people deliberately do not thank God. They say: We have acquired everything by ourselves!
Can we as children of God give thanks to the Lord? Not everyone feels gratitude to God in their heart, although they would like to. That is because they do not know the Giver. Do you only have an anonymous giver? True, the testimony of God’s love is there for all people: He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good. God cares for all.
Many know this God of creation. They have experienced His help. But God wants to be more to us than just Creator and Sustainer. God has shown himself to us as “Father” in Jesus Christ. He not only cares for our physical well-being but also for our souls. He gives us bread that we may be filled, and He gave His Son, the Bread of Life, for the entire world. Honor God as your Creator, draw close to Him through Jesus Christ, and experience Him as your Father! Thank Him for everything! You will receive additional blessings from Him.
Arthur E. Lange
Vernon, British Columbia
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