My country was deep in the midst of a deadly and devastating civil war, a war that would test the meddle of any leader. In 1861, our President, Abraham Lincoln, penned the following words, which ended with the beginning of a new American holiday, Thanksgiving.
“In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict. … No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God.”
Lincoln saw the good in the midst of and focused the nation on the One who would see them through the storm. The Word is asking His followers to do the same. When life gets tough, and it will, we must Exercise the truth to give thanks. If we don’t, we’ll follow our attitudes south toward our drugs of choice.
Thanking God for what He has already done in our lives, especially when it goes against what we feel like doing, gives us the confidence He can do it again in our current storm, despite its severity. As we give thanks, the sides of our lips will inch upward while our attitude begins to soar. So I encourage you to give thanks, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day, as it brings peace in the midst of any storm.
Set Fre“E” Nowww