Montrose, Colorado

Rev. Willis A. (Bert) Jones, a country preacher & Bible teacher

God gave us a perfect and joyful world. Man is making a mess of this world. So where is the joy? There are at least two approaches to life: yielding to man or to God. First, if we yield to human wisdom we may merely tolerate problems by ignoring, complaining or worse we express our anger toward others.

The other if we yield to God which leads to inner joy. Then we can rejoice that in conflicts we encounter which will give us the opportunity to experience the strength that God has deposited in us. Read Colossians 1:11-20. I quote one section of this Scripture.

"11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:" -- (Colossians 1:11-12 KJV)

The last two words of verse 11 is a part of verse 12 in the original Greek. This would change the meaning to: "With joy thanking the Father, who has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Thanksgiving with joy is what we need in order to face the problems in life. This can be possible only as we are strengthened by God. This will only happen in the measure of our recognizing that God holds the world in His hands.

Thanksgiving should not only a day of eating and celebrating family, but should be a life style of daily giving thanks to God for the joyfulness He can and desires to provide us!