August 12

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; because His mercy endureth forever. Psalms 118:1.

Luther says: "God gives daily bread, indeed, without our prayers, also to all the wicked; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving." Although God grants these gifts and blessings even to the ungodly, yet He desires us to pray for these things in order that we may acknowledge that we receive them from His bountiful hand and see in them His fatherly goodness toward us.

If we look at all the creatures of God, we cannot but see the goodness of God. Christ says of our Father in heaven: "He

maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust"; as though He would say: God sends down blessings in great streams and showers, but who thanks Him for it? He gives your and my eyes the faculty to see and distinguish things; but nobody regards this as a gift of God. If the sun would not rise of a morning, or if it should delay for only half a day to mount above the horizon, oh, what misery and wretchedness would then ensue! How everybody would complain and cry for relief! And after the rising of the sun on that day everybody would exclaim: Thanks and praise be to God for setting up such a great light for us! But because the sun rises every day at the right time, no one considers it a blessing and a great gift of God. And thus it is with regard to all other blessings of God — the rain, the grain in the fields, and thousands of other gifts. The good gifts are too many, blessings are poured down upon and round about us daily, and for that reason we do not realize that they do not "just happen," but that they are blessings, undeserved blessings. Alas, how little gratitude is rendered to the Giver of every good and perfect gift! How many homes, how many hearts, as regards praise and thanks to God, are as silent as the grave!

"O give thanks unto the Lord!" says the psalmist. And again, Psalms 50:14: "Offer unto God thanksgiving." We should receive God's gifts with thanksgiving.

Prayer.

O Thou faithful Father in heaven, teach us to receive Thy gifts with thanksgiving. We, thy children, heartily wish we could render unto Thee adequate thanks and praise for all the blessings Thou hast bestowed upon us during all the days of our lives up to this hour. But, alas! this is not within our power. Thou dost daily grant us blessings without measure, for all which we thank Thee from our inmost hearts. Amen.

For all the blessings of the day: For hours to work and hours to play; For courage and contentment here; For trust to strengthen, joy to cheer; For sleep and all the duties done; For every strife of conscience won; For home and those who love us there; For friend and kindred everywhere; For all Thy love made manifest; For life and for eternal rest — We thank Thee, Lord.