November, 2005
by Pastor Dave Speicher

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, those He has redeemed from the hand of the foe.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.

Let Israel say: His love endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say: His love endures forever. Let those who fear the Lord say: His love endures forever.

Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous. Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

What you have just read are some selected verses from Psalm 107 and Psalm 118. These verses remind us of the importance of giving thanks to God for the many ways in which He is good to us.

Beyond the falling temperatures, falling leaves, pumpkins, and other autumn decorations, November is considered the “Thanksgiving” month because of the Thanksgiving holiday we celebrate near the end of the month.

Of course, giving thanks must not be limited to the month of November, but it is a significant daily habit to be developed and exercised. Have you developed that important practice of giving thanks?

If you were to stop long enough to think about it, for what would you give thanks to God?

Would it be for all the good things He does for you or for who He is as a great, awesome, and mighty God?

Sometimes we can get so caught up in assessing a person based on whether or not they are performing well and forget to be grateful for the good qualities of a person such as integrity, their loving heart, their compassionate spirit, their forgiving nature, or any number of healthy character qualities.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t assess us by our performance or by how we sometimes act? I hope and pray you are developing the thanksgiving habit, or as some have called it, the “attitude of gratitude”, and that you are learning to express your thanks and gratitude to those around you as well as to God Himself. Hebrews 13:15-16 says: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.”

Oh yes, I am very grateful to God for His grace and mercy shown to me in salvation and the forgiveness of all my sins and for the inner powerful presence of His Holy Spirit to guide and direct my life.

I give thanks to God that He is willing and able to do the same for all who will turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness and seek the fullness of His Spirit in their life. I am also grateful for the blessing of a wonderful church family who is working together to share the “Good News” of God’s love with the people of this community. Together we can fulfill the mission of Lakeside Community Church, “to demonstrate God’s love to all people, leading them to embrace Jesus Christ, and helping them grow to maturity in Him.”

I look forward to seeing you each Sunday throughout the month of November as we worship the Lord together and “Give thanks to God for His enduring love.”