Happy Thanksgiving
By Dean Honeycutt
Mitchell County
I am very grateful for all the things the Lord has done for me and my family. And at Thanksgiving, we want to give God all glory and praise. Sometimes it is difficult to recognize the blessings of God during difficult times of our lives. But rest assured God is helping us during times of adversity. I believe it is human nature to focus on adversity rather than the good things God is doing in our lives.
As a child of God, the Father never leaves us or forsakes us in our time of need, but often we wonder where God is. Rest assured dear child of God the Father is “a very present help in time of trouble.” Pam and I have gone through trying times and we can look back over a difficult time and see the hand of God. I wonder why God allows us to have trouble. I realize that the Father is “no respecter of persons” and “it rains on the just and the unjust.” If God never allowed difficulty in my life, then I would not need God and I would never learn to trust God.
Our children learn to trust Pam and I even though we cannot prevent sorrow in their lives. We walk with our children during those times and do everything we can to comfort and help the situation. Our Father in heaven acts much the same way, he walks with us during those times in life comforting us and often doing things we may not even be aware of to bring us through our most difficult times of life. God always performs in our lives what is best for us in perfect love for us. We may not understand it, but in our suffering, we identify with Christ who suffered and died for us.
The Father takes no pleasure in seeing us suffer. We often think of Job and all that he went through, and Job could not understand why he was suffering. The Lord said to Job. Job 38:2 (KJV 1900)
2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?
And Job said to the Lord. Job 42:2–3 (KJV 1900)
2 I know that thou canst do everything And that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3 Who is he that hideth counsel Without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
At the end of the book of Job, we see God in all His power and wisdom challenging Job to answer Him. And Job cannot answer the Lord. Instead Job humbles himself under the mighty hand of God and proclaims… Job 40:4–5 (KJV 1900)
4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: Yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 42:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent In dust and ashes.
Like Job, we must understand that God’s way is far above our way, and at the end of the day it will be God who is honored and is in control. I am grateful that my Father “puts my tears into His bottle” and “knows the number of hairs on my head.” I am grateful for my family and I am so grateful for my salvation and the salvation of my family. We have gone through some difficult times, and God has been good to us. We proclaim as the Psalmist Psalm 56:13 (KJV 1900)
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God in the light of the living?
No matter what you may be going through or how bad things may be, God loves you and He cares for you. We may not understand all that is going on in our lives, but God will bring to completion the good work He has begun in you.
God bless you; we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Pastor Dean Honeycutt
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Pastor Dean Honeycutt shepherds Snow Hill Baptist Church in Bakersville, NC. He may be reached at 828-385-0213, snowhillbaptist@gmail.com, or visit their website at www.snowhillbaptist.com.
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