1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, He is God!
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!
5 For the Lord is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.
I sometimes forget to be thankful. If you are anything like me, you get caught up with the things that are not working as they should, with issues that need to be “fixed,” and with relationships that are floundering. My posture can slide very quickly from one of contentment towards one of complaint. God’s Word invites (and commands) us to give thanks to God because He has been faithful, because He loves us and because He cares for us in an infinite number of ways. So, on this week ahead of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share some things for which I am thankful:
For 521 students that come to our campus every day to learn and grow, to hear the Gospel and to follow Jesus now or in the future.
For the 2 RCS students who confessed Jesus to be their Lord and were baptized last weekend.
For a host of expert teachers who love Jesus, their content areas and their students and who come to work every day to lead students toward maturity.
For the administrators and support staff who work at caring for our faculty, our facilities, our finances and our future.
For the people of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, who, 26 years ago, decided to found Redeemer to be a light to the folks of Ocala and Marion County.
For the many alumni that I have visited with in the last several months, some who are married and starting families!
For the K5 student who asked me last week “Are you still the head of school, Mr. Butler?”
For my answer to her of “Yes!”
For my wife who loves me so well.
For my 3 children who are growing, maturing and will soon surpass me in so many ways!
For air in my lungs, sight in my eyes and a body that works reasonably well.
For the Santos paved trail and miles and miles of quiet bike rides.
For a wonderful Thanksgiving break to rest and spend time with family and friends.
For Jesus, my Savior, who died for me even though I did not deserve it.
As you prepare for the upcoming holiday, would you consider things for which you can give thanks? As you do so, may God richly bless you with a thankful heart and the knowledge of Jesus as your Savior this Thanksgiving season.
Luke
