A CHALLENGE DURING THIS THANKSGIVING TIME

"I will bless the LORD at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1, KJV

We quote the verse all the time. A lot of folks open up the worship service with that scripture. It's even a song. What does all mean though? What does the word all mean? It says "at all times" so what does all mean? Well I looked it up and one definition puts it, "the whole, entire, total amount, quantity, or extent of." That same verse in the Good News Bible says, "I will always thank the LORD; I will never stop praising him."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV, "16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Same verses in the GNB, "Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus."

"In every thing give thanks..."

"I will bless the LORD at all times..."

"I will always thank the LORD..."

"...be thankful in all circumstances..."

During this Thanksgiving time, I dare everyone reading this to be thankful no matter what's going on. A song writer put it like this, "Praise now. It could be worse." Some of us are dealing with pain that feels like it's never going to go away. "Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God. Through it all, though it all, I've learned to depend upon His Word." I know it's a process, but a process can't be a process unless it gets started. So if you're been slacking on your gratefulness, I dare you and I dare myself to be thankful in spite of everything that's going on. Let's all start the I'm thankful in spite of process. I'm sure when we do that, God, in His own way, will show his gratitude.

Another song writer penned, "I'm covered, I'm not worried. Rest. On His promise. I'm still singing. I'm still shouting. I'm still dancing. I'm still praising." I dare you to get your still back. As the old saints say, I dare you to make a devil out of a lie, and say, "I'm still singing. I'm still shouting. I'm still dancing. I'm still praising." Why? Because "I'm covered. I'm not worried."

Proverbs 18:21, KJV, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."

in the GNB, "What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words."

My prayer is that all who read this and don't read this have a blessed Thanksgiving, and use this time to be thankful in all things. Despite of what is going on, be thankful. So much false hope is going on today, but my hope is built...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson