T HE K I NG ' S B U S I N E S S stand about giving thanks for pleasant things, but what about unpleasant things? Do we not thank a skillful physician for his treatment of our dis ease, even though that treatment may have been very severe? Why then can we not thank the Divine Physician when He is obliged, as He often is, to give us bitter medicine or to perform a painful operation? I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.—Ps. 69:30, 31. A great many people who are ready and willing to offer up an ox or a bul lock seem never to have thought that a little genuine praise and thanksgiving offered to Him now and then would “please the Lord better” than all their great sacrifices made in His cause. As I said before, the Bible is full of this thought from beginning to end. Over and over it is called a “sacrifice of thanksgiving,” showing that it is as really an act of religious worship as is any other religious act. In fact, the “sacrifice of thanksgiving” was one of the regular sacrifices ordained by God in the book of Leviticus. And when ye will offer sacrifice of thanks giving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will. —Lev. 22:29. * Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his ¡wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.—Ps. 107:21, 22. By^ him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise^ to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.—Heb. 13:15. Forty-four of the Psalms begin with notes of praise, and the words^ expressing thé ideas of praise and thanksgiving are used in the Bible "at least hundreds of times. O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salva tion. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.—Ps. 95:1, 2. Continue in^ prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.—Col. 4:2. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.—Col. 2:6, 7. These are only a few samples, out of many, just to give us a little glimpse into God’s mind on the subject. It is
998 of blessings, that we, in our short sightedness, judge by the seemings only, and altogether miss the reality beneath. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.—Jas. 1:16, 17. How many “good and perfect gifts” we must have had during our lives wliich we have looked upon only as curses, and for which we have never returned one thought of thanks! And for how many gifts also which we have even acknowledged to he good have we thanked ourselves, or our friends, or our circumstances, without once look ing behind the earthly givers to thank the Heavenly Giver from whom in real ity they all come! It is as if we should thank the mes sengers who bring us our friends* gifts, and should never send any word of thanks to our friends themselves. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth to all generations.—Ps. 100:4, 5. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely vfor the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.—Ps. 33:1-4. I believe if we should count up we would find that there are in the Bible more commands given and more exam ples set for thè giving of thanks “al ways for all things” than for the doing or the leaving undone of anything else. It is very evident from the whole teach ing of Scripture that the Lord loves to be thanked just as much as we like it; and that our failure-to thank Him for His “good and perfect gifts” wounds His loving heart just as our hearts are wounded when our loved ones fail to appreciate the benefits we have so en joyed bestowing upon them. What a purè joy it is to us to receive from our friends an acknowledgement of their thanksgiving for our gifts, and is it not likely that it is a joy to the Lord also? But you may say, Ah, yes, I under-
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