Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

First, on this Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Joy and I wish you and your family a most gratifying and memorable day. There is so much we have to be thankful for, not only for God's unending blessings, but also for the affirmation and encouragement we have received from so many of our Daily Encounter readers.

Thank you for reading and for thinking about our writings. We also want to thank those of you who have taken the time to send in your comments and suggestions; and finally, a very special thank you to all our prayer and financial support partners as you are the ones who make Daily Encounter available without charge to our well over a third-of-a-million worldwide subscribers.

May God richly bless you in his own abundant way,

Dick and Joy Innes

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"It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night."¹

"Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied herâ€"she seemed so happy, and how I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; she had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feetâ€"the world is mine.

"And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm; he seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; I said, 'It's nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find'; he turned and said, 'Oh, thank you sir.' And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine.

"Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; he stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, 'Why don't you join the others, dear?' He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine.

"With feet to take me where I'd go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, with ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine."²

As many readers will realize, today in the USA is Thanksgiving Day…a day when friends and family all across this land will join together in a great day of feasting, but I cannot help but wonder how many of us will be truly thankfulâ€"I mean truly thankful to God for the abundant blessings he has given to those of us who live in free countries.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give to me a thankful heartâ€"a heart to remember your lovingkindness every morning and your faithfulness every nightâ€"and that your blessings are new every morning and your faithfulness is unto all generations. And above all else beside I thank you with all my heart and soul that your 'so great salvation' and gift of eternal life is available to 'whosoever will may come.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 92:1-2 (NKJV).
2. Source Unknown.

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