Starting a Rewarding Task (Bulletin Article for November 19)

The song “Count Your Blessings” has been used countless times as a sermon illustration. We are often reminded that we cannot count all the ways in which God has blessed us. The song contains the famous lyric, “It will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Many will take a few moments this week to reflect on what God has done for them in the past 12 months. Some will have “major” things for which to be thankful (a good report from the doctor, a birth, a new job, etc.) and others will have the “usual” things (living another day). All of us, however, have countless things for which to be thankful. God truly blesses us in ways we cannot imagine.

I don’t know if that’s the place from where the song “Thanks to God for My Redeemer” came. The song, written in 1891 by August L. Storm, is simply a list of things for which to be thankful. We have sung the song a few times in singing class, but we need to sing it often.

As you read the words, use them as your own “starting point” for a list of things for which to be thankful. Some lines of the song may even bring tears to your eyes, as they do mine. Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, but never stop remembering all that God has done for you each day.

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,
thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
thanks for dark and dreary fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain and thanks for pleasure,
thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for homes and thanks for fireside,
thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
thanks thru all eternity.

The words of that song should make us think. There are some things listed in those lines that are not positive” (thorns, for example). Sometimes we need to focus our minds on the fact that God uses negatives to teach us lessons.

Let’s be thankful for everything good in our lives, and everything that has worked together for good (Romans 8:28).