Dear Christian friends:

If someone helps us once-in-awhile we remember to thank him. But if that person helps us every day we fail to thank him. That is why children do not thank their parents. They do not appreciate the fine meal that mother cooks daily. But if they had to cook their own meal daily and then mother cooked once a month they would remember to give thanks.

So it is with God and people. Most of time God gives us many precious blessings. That becomes habit. We fail to thank Him. But if He stops blessing us for a season, and then gives blessings again we eagerly thank Him.

This shows how wicked mans heart is and how far from God man lives. We Christians especially receive precious blessings from God daily and every Sunday in Church in Jesus. But God gives His blessings regularly and without interruption and so much and plentifully that we think it not new and nothing wonderful and so we are not eager to thank Him, even on our National Thanksgiving Day. Others search around to find "good" excuses.

So we need to hear again from God's Holy Word about giving thanks to Our Wonderful God. Here in Psalm 145, David by the Holy Spirit shows us how to give thanks to the Lord, Our God. This is a Thanksgiving Psalm.

We are so poor and weak to think and say worthy thanks to our great God. But here the Holy Spirit speaks through King David and shows very precious words and ways to thank God. Verses one to seven are a beautiful opening to the main part of the Psalm. In these verses David says he will praise God's name forever and ever and daily. Then in verse three he says the Lord is great and should receive great praise. He is so great we can't know how great. "Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket." Isaiah 40:15

In verse four He states that all people should praise this Lord to one another. Father's should tell their children and the children their children about this great God and His mighty acts.

In verse five David says that he, himself will speak of God's majesty. Remember David was a great King, when he lived the greatest on earth. He had plenty of his own honor and glory. But when he compared his glory to God's he felt like a poor beggar or worm.

David knew that God was the One great King over all kings. The only King worthy to receive glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving daily and forever, from all people.

Now David tells us several exact reasons why we should give thanks to our great God. "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalm 145:7-9)

And in verses ten to thirteen He shows that our thanksgiving ought to be in the form of evangelism and missions. (read it again!) If we are really thankful, we will speak to others about our wonderful God and His Son Jesus and His everlasting kingdom, as we did last Sunday in our Every Member Visit, E.M.V. If you used the flip chart you did.

Although we by our sins have earned God's anger and everlasting punishment in hell, yet He shows mercy to us. He sends His dear Son Jesus to obey the law for us and suffer our punishment. "A father once asked his son to fill the wood box before going to school, and his daughter to help the mother who was ill both failed. etc." So God has forgiven us by Jesus our older brother. The holy law of God which we failed to obey, Jesus obeyed. He did more He suffered our punishment on the cross.

When we hear of this great mercy and kindness of God, we believe and become members of His everlasting Kingdom. This is why we Christians, and only we Christians can really thank God. We know He will not condemn us as we deserve, that in spite of our sins. He loves us and forgives us in Jesus.

In verses fourteen to seventeen, David gives us other good reasons for Thanksgiving. Because God so kindly and regularly gives our food and all we need for our body. (read it!) Jacob said, "I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant." (Genesis 32:10) When he thought of the many natural blessings from God. America wow!

And then a third reason for Thanksgiving is His care and protection in trouble or danger. (Read it! verses 19-20) Several mothers in our congregation during this past year went through the dark valley of death to bring forth a new child. God was near and saved them from death, both mother and child. Praise Him!

When we think about the six-hundred plus people killed in Minnesota this year and then think that not one of our members suffered death in that way. True a few were in accidents but were not killed. Praise God! "The Lord preserveth all them that love Him."

And although the Lord did let our beloved pastor, Dr. Salvner, die last Saturday, we know that God was near him in death with His Word of forgiveness and Lord's Supper. The Lord kept him in true faith and made short his pain and suffering. And now he is in that everlasting kingdom of glory. Thank God for His mercy to Salvner!

And when we think of how easy our country could fall into war with the Russians, about the terrible rocket missiles with H-Bombs; and yet we have a cold war and not a hot war. Should we not thank and praise our God that He has prevented the enemy and given wisdom to our President and other leaders.

If you stop to think about these things in the light of our Psalm, you must humbly kneel low before our Great and Merciful God and close with David saying: "My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless His holy Name forever and ever."

Amen.