Be Glad and Give Thanks
By Editor
Be Glad and Give Thanks.—It is Thanksgiving Day to-morrow, according to the date of this paper. It is a stated time for giving thanks, and that is good. It is good for people to join in thanksgiving to God, the Giver of all good. Following this custom of long standing, based in the beginning, no doubt, upon the ancient harvest festivals, the presidents and governors in these United States have for many years suggested that the last Thursday in November be made a general day of thanksgiving throughout the United States and the respective states. President Roosevelt has thus appointed the last day of November for this purpose. He has also given faithful warning, which will be noticed next week. His proclamation will be found in our Outlook department. It is quite common to hear Christians sing,—
"O, where are the reapers that garner in
The sheaves of good from the fields of sin?"
Just now a more appropriate query would be, Where are the sowers? People are generally more anxious to reap than to sow. Now is especially a sowing time. If we will be faithful in this respect, God will provide the reapers. "The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." Matt. 13:39. The only true thanksgiving is that which responds to God's goodness every day. But many who profess Christianity do not do this because they do not feel like it. That is, their feelings are made the reason or non-reason for thankfulness instead of God's goodness. They would think themselves cruelly treated if some one whom they had loaded with benefits would offer no grateful response on the ground that he did not feel like it. Why not thank God despite our feeling, whether we feel like it or not. Make it a principle in the life—feeling or no feeling, dyspepsia, ill-treatment by friends, bad investments or any trouble—that you will thank God daily for His continued and abundant mercies, and that you will show your gratitude by being kind and helpful to others and faithful in responding to the calls of God. It is your life to do this. "That man may last, but never lives,
Who much receives, but nothing gives,
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,
Creation's blot, creation's blank." "Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth Me," declares the great God. It opens the heart and mind Godward, and lifts above the petty cares and troubles. Then "in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."