August 16In every thing give thanks — 1 Thes. 5:18.
Having the condition of heart which is in fellowship with the Lord and fully devoted to the doing of His will, the Lord's people not only implore His blessing at the beginning of each day, and present their thanks at the close of each day, but in all of life's affairs they seek to remember that they have consecrated their all to the Lord, and by faith look up to Him in all the affairs of life; and in proportion to the importance of their undertakings they, by faith, realize the association of God's providence with all the interests of life and give thanks accordingly. This is the will of God concerning us; He wills that we live in such an attitude of constant regard for His will and for His blessing; and He wills it in respect to us because it will be the condition most favorable to our progress in our narrow way, and which will best assist us in making our calling and election sure—Z '03, 25 (R 3135). The noble natural man recognizes the appropriateness of gratitude for benefits; yet frequently, because of our shortsightedness in overlooking the fact that our untoward experiences, though working earthly disadvantages, are means of great spiritual blessings to us, we fail to give thanks for them. These, as well as toward experiences, should be regarded as blessings calling upon us to render thanks to the Lord. All things work together for good to them that love God. Therefore let us give thanks for all things—the hard and the easy, the joyful and the sorrowful, the toward and the untoward. All of them are love letters and tokens from our dear Father and are intended to work our truest, highest good—P '34, 110. Parallel passages: Eph. 5:20; Col. 1:12; 2:7; 3:15-17; 4:2; Psa. 50:14, 15; 105:1, 5; 106:1; 107:1, 2, 15, 22; Joel 2:26; Phil. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:1; 4:3, 4; Heb. 13:15. Hymns: 324, 9, 19, 37, 55, 199, 219. Poems of Dawn, 131: Count Your Blessings. Tower Reading: Z '02, 12 (R 2935). Questions: Have I been thankful in everything this week? How? Why? With what results? |
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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
DO not count, when day is o'er,
Daily loss from life's rich store;
But the gains, however small,
Count them daily, one and all:
Every sweet and gracious word,
Every pleasant truth you've heard;
Every tender glance and tone,
Every kindly deed you've known;
Every duty nobly done,
Every rightful victory won—
Treasure all, and count them o'er
As a miser counts his store.
But if bitter word or thought
Have a bitter harvest brought;
If some foeman hath assailed you,
Or the friend most trusted failed you;
If unkindness and untruth
Have to you brought saddest ruth,
Blot the score without delay—
Keep no record of the day.
Keep no record of the care,
Loss and cross we all must bear;
On the page of memory write
Only what is fair and bright.
Let all evil things go by;
Still, with brave endeavor, try
Simple joys to multiply.
Thus you'll learn how large a sum
Will with faithful reckoning come.
Long as after cloud and rain
Blessed sunshine comes again,
Long as after winter's gloom
Summer roses bud and bloom,
Long as we have with us here
One sad heart that we may cheer,
Long as love gilds sorrow's cross,
Life's rich gain o'erpays the loss.
DO not count, when day is o'er,
Daily loss from life's rich store;
But the gains, however small,
Count them daily, one and all:
Every sweet and gracious word,
Every pleasant truth you've heard;
Every tender glance and tone,
Every kindly deed you've known;
Every duty nobly done,
Every rightful victory won—
Treasure all, and count them o'er
As a miser counts his store.
But if bitter word or thought
Have a bitter harvest brought;
If some foeman hath assailed you,
Or the friend most trusted failed you;
If unkindness and untruth
Have to you brought saddest ruth,
Blot the score without delay—
Keep no record of the day.
Keep no record of the care,
Loss and cross we all must bear;
On the page of memory write
Only what is fair and bright.
Let all evil things go by;
Still, with brave endeavor, try
Simple joys to multiply.
Thus you'll learn how large a sum
Will with faithful reckoning come.
Long as after cloud and rain
Blessed sunshine comes again,
Long as after winter's gloom
Summer roses bud and bloom,
Long as we have with us here
One sad heart that we may cheer,
Long as love gilds sorrow's cross,
Life's rich gain o'erpays the loss.
