A CHILD IS BORNGive Thanks Ps 100:4-5 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with

praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. KJV Ps 107:31-32 31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. KJV

"Two Lists"
Daily Devotional for November 24, 2011

Psalm 100: 4-5, 107:31-32

KJV NKJV NIV

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Rosario picked up a pen and drew a line down the middle of a paper to make two columns. His Sunday school teacher had asked the class to bring her a list of things for which they were thankful and a list of things for which they were not thankful. Let's see . . . I'm thankful for Mom and Dad, thought Rosario. He wrote "parents" on his list. And I'm thankful for my dog and my friends and Grandpa and Grandma. I'm thankful for food and for . . . for my new shoes. I'm thankful for my Sunday school class, too, and especially for Jesus. Rosario's list of things to be thankful for was getting long. There are so many things that it will take an awful lot of time to write them all down, he thought. Id better start on the things I'm not thankful for. Rosario remembered that his mother had sent him to his room for telling a lie. He wrote "punishment" in the second column on the paper. And . . . ah . . . oh, I know! Memorizing verses. I hate memorizing. Rosario quickly wrote memorization on the list of things for which he was not thankful. Chores, he thought. I don't like doing chores, either. Rosario's sister Malia sat down beside him and looked at his list. "If you're thankful for parents, you should be thankful for punishment," she said. "You should be glad they care enough to punish you when you do wrong things." Rosario scowled. "Well, I'm not," he muttered. "Then I don't think you're thankful enough for Mom and Dad," said Malia. "Go away," grumbled Rosario. After his sister left, he reluctantly crossed out "punishment." A Bible verse popped into Rosario's mind. He found himself repeating it out loud, word for word. "Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Well, that verse sure blows the idea of listing things I'm not thankful for! he thought. After a moment, he grinned. But this will save me lots of time, he decided. Then

he crossed out the words in both columns on the paper. On the side of things to be thankful for, he wrote in big letters: "EVERYTHING!" But Rosario felt a little guilty as he put his pencil down. With a sigh, he picked it up, and on the other column of the paper, he wrote: "But I'm not thankful enough for anything."

HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you thank God for everything? Maybe you hate to study . . . your father lost his job . . . or you didnt get the new bike you want. Did you give thanks anyway? The Bible says to give thanks for all things. Can you do that? Even when you cant understand why things happen as they do, trust God to work them out in the best possible way. Trust His timing, and give thanks. TODAY'S KEY VERSE Eph 5:20

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; KJV 1 Chron 16:34 34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. KJV

Ps 30:4 4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. KJV

Ps 92:1 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: KJV

1 Thess 5:18 18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. KJV