GIVE THANKS
By Joel Raygor
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
It was the first week of November in central Manitoba and we were on a trophy whitetail hunt. Even though there were some truly big bucks in the area, it was probably the most miserable hunt I've ever been on. Every morning started out with below zero temperatures and then it slowly warmed up to zero Fahrenheit by noon before heading back into minus temps.
Then there was that hot year. Four of us were hunting mule deer on a big chunk of public land in northern Wyoming, the second week of October. By midday we all had big bucks on the ground, the temps had climbed to over ninety degrees, and we were about four miles in from the truck. Amazingly we got all the meat out without any spoiling.
There is a lesson behind these two stories. When you plan a hunt, buy a tag and lock in the dates, regardless of wind, rain or temperatures, just go hunting. And always remember.... The animals don't evaporate.
In much the same way, throughout our lives we all will have some very cold and very hot days. There will be rainy days along with some dry weeks or even months. Sometimes it's hard to be happy or thankful during these times, but the scriptures remind us that regardless of our situation we should always be thankful. King David said in Psalm 9:1 "I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds."
The next time things are not coming together like you had hoped or planned, stop and take a moment to thank God for His continued goodness to you. And when someone asks how you are doing, simply answer, "better than I deserve".
Colossians 3:17: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
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