Subject — Thanksgiving

23.     Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.

24.     Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

25.     For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

26.     For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

27.     Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

28.     Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

29.     Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

30.     Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

1. Psalm 100 : 1-5

1     Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2     Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3     Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

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.

2. I Chronicles 16 : 8, 10

8     Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

10     Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

3. Isaiah 58 : 11

11     And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

4. Luke 10 : 1, 17-21

1     After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

17     And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

18     And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

19     Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20     Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

21     In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

5. Luke 17 : 11-19

11     And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12     And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13     And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14     And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15     And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16     And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17     And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18     There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19     And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

6. I Peter 5 : 6, 7

6     Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7     Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

7. I Thessalonians 5 : 16-18

16     Rejoice evermore.

17     Pray without ceasing.

18     In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1. 151 : 23-24

The divine Mind that made man maintains His own image and likeness.

2. 7 : 23 (The)-26

The "divine ear" is not an auditory nerve. It is the all-hearing and all-knowing Mind, to whom each need of man is always known and by whom it will be supplied.

3. 2 : 23-25, 26 (Shall)-28

God is Love. Can we ask Him to be more? God is intelligence. Can we inform the infinite Mind of anything He does not already comprehend? … Shall we plead for more at the open fount, which is pouring forth more than we accept?

4. 3 : 17-2

How empty are our conceptions of Deity! We admit theoretically that God is good, omnipotent, omnipresent, infinite, and then we try to give information to this infinite Mind. We plead for unmerited pardon and for a liberal outpouring of benefactions. Are we really grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more. Gratitude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more gratitude than speech.

If we are ungrateful for Life, Truth, and Love, and yet return thanks to God for all blessings, we are insincere and incur the sharp censure our Master pronounces on hypocrites. In such a case, the only acceptable prayer is to put the finger on the lips and remember our blessings. While the heart is far from divine Truth and Love, we cannot conceal the ingratitude of barren lives.

5. 9 : 17-24

Dost thou "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind"? This command includes much, even the surrender of all merely material sensation, affection, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity. It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master, and material sense and human will have no place.

6. 94 : 17-23

The progress of truth confirms its claims, and our Master confirmed his words by his works. His healing-power evoked denial, ingratitude, and betrayal, arising from sensuality. Of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed, but one returned to give God thanks, — that is, to acknowledge the divine Principle which had healed him.

7. 54 : 1-7

Through the magnitude of his human life, he demonstrated the divine Life. Out of the amplitude of his pure affection, he defined Love. With the affluence of Truth, he vanquished error. The world acknowledged not his righteousness, seeing it not; but earth received the harmony his glorified example introduced.

8. 47 : 10-13

Judas conspired against Jesus. The world's ingratitude and hatred towards that just man effected his betrayal. The traitor's price was thirty pieces of silver and the smiles of the Pharisees.

9. 372 : 26-32

In Christian Science, a denial of Truth is fatal, while a just acknowledgment of Truth and of what it has done for us is an effectual help. If pride, superstition, or any error prevents the honest recognition of benefits received, this will be a hindrance to the recovery of the sick and the success of the student.

10. 323 : 32-6

Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear, — this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony. The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

11. 52 : 23-28

The highest earthly representative of God, speaking of human ability to reflect divine power, prophetically said to his disciples, speaking not for their day only but for all time: "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also;" and "These signs shall follow them that believe."

12. 4 : 5-9

To keep the commandments of our Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our gratitude for all that he has done.

13. 5 : 15-18

The followers of Christ drank his cup. Ingratitude and persecution filled it to the brim; but God pours the riches of His love into the understanding and affections, giving us strength according to our day.

14. 451 : 14-18

Man walks in the direction towards which he looks, and where his treasure is, there will his heart be also. If our hopes and affections are spiritual, they come from above, not from beneath, and they bear as of old the fruits of the Spirit.

15. 15 : 25-30

Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God. Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers. Practice not profession, understanding not belief, gain the ear and right hand of omnipotence and they assuredly call down infinite blessings.

16. 249 : 8-9

Let us rejoice that we are subject to the divine "powers that be."