2 CORINTHIANS 4:15

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

TO PONDER

Recently, many of us saw Australia go mad celebrating the mostly American holiday of Halloween. My family and I don't usually celebrate it because it also happens to be my birthday on that day, but there is one American Holiday we have come to appreciate and have adopted for ourselves. For a number of years now we have chosen to celebrate an American style Thanksgiving. It's not always on the same day as the American celebration - after all we don't get a day off for thanksgiving like they do in America, but we usually do it toward the end of November.

For us, the historical factors of the American Thanksgiving holiday are not necessarily the reason we celebrate the day. Let's be honest, most people celebrating Halloween do not understand the meaning of the day beyond costumes and candy. But the time set aside to gather with family and friends and to be thankful together has a profound effect.

We invite all sorts to our thanksgiving dinner, church people, neighbourhood people, schools friends and their families. As we share together the things we are thankful for we often end up sharing too some of the things that have been a struggle for us over the year, and whether it is expressed explicitly or not, God is glorified as we who serve him, get busy serving our neighbours.

Let your life be marked by thanksgiving, let it be expressed publicly and see how God is glorified in the process.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, you have done more for me that I will likely ever know. Please help me to live each day full of thanksgiving and praise for you y God and King for all that you have done for me. May I always glorify you and lead more and more people to recognise your goodness in their lives also. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.