Thankfulness: Power of Recall
Thankfulness: Power of Recall

Thankfulness: Power of Recall

ThanksGiving_Corn-o-copiaIn this month of November which culminates in the national holiday of Thanksgiving, I am choosing to focus on Praise and Thanksgiving. Being thankful is something that can easily elude us throughout the year with all our busyness. Seeing a world spinning out of control and seeing our own country plunging into darkness, it becomes increasingly difficult to consider things for which we should be thankful. Nevertheless, I choose to purposefully pull back the reins on the galloping horses of time and circumstance, and I choose to regularly sit down, breathe, and take time to count up all the blessings and wonderful things God has done!
 
In Psalm 77, the psalmist admits that he had allowed his spirit to be soured by some grumbling. Look at this long list of complaints:
 
“I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed”
“Will the Lord cast off forever?”
“And will He be favorable no more?”
“Is His mercy clean gone forever?”
“Doth His promise fail forevermore?”
“Hath God forgotten to be gracious?”
“Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies?”
 
Almost seems like the Psalmist had turned to the “dark side”! In fact, the Bible makes it clear that when we are not thankful, our hearts literally become “darkened” (Rom 1:21). We need not become too concerned about the psalmist, for  immediately after entertaining such darkness, the psalmist wisely decides to REMEMBER:
 
“And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old” (Psalms 77:10-11).
 
And then, only a few moments of remembering – using the mind’s awesome power of recall – and the Psalmist is once again singing the high praises of his God and Savior:
 
“Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people” (Psalms 77:13-14).
 
Our mind is an amazing thing – especially when we purpose to call up memories of what God has done for us back into the forefront of our brain’s memory banks, all the lights come right back on! “In Thy light, we see light!” (Psalm 36:9). With our mind’s wonderful power of recall working together with the Holy Spirit – our “Helper” who “will bring all things to your remembrance” (John 14:27) – one thought of thankfulness will give birth to another! Soon we, too, will be singing the high praises of our God and Savior!
 
Let’s make this entire month of November a month to practice thankfulness. “Forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2) and remember Him who “daily loadeth us with benefits” (Psalm 68:19).
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
(Psalms 103:1-5)

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