Notes from the Trail

Giving thanks

Posted on the November 26th, 2008 under Spiritual Markers by Jeff

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I hope you’re all ready to enjoy this time of reflection and Thanksgiving this week. I know it’s a deeply special and significant time. I want to encourage you all to allow it to be one in which you spend time in praise for all that Christ is doing in our lives. For some, this season is hard because of the losses of family members, and for others this season will be hard because of relationships with family and friends not being where they need to be.

Our prayer is that we will demonstrate fully the Spirit of God during this week and that we will be overflowing with gratitude and thanksgiving. There’s a popular worship song out now that goes:

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

I especially like the last refrain. God is still good, and He has the right to “give and take away.” It’s in hard moments of discipleship and learning to follow Him that we can make the mental decision like the songwriter (Matt Redman) in which “my heart will choose to say, ‘Lord, blessed be your name.’”

I hope earnestly this holiday season that you will choose to praise Him. In the midst of a year that’s been very trying for our family, friends, church and our country, let us choose to praise God.