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Those six verses mention specific things for us to be thankful for—food, fruits, shields for protection, things we can manufacture, our senses, the night and the day, and the water we need to survive.
Then God tells us to be appreciative, to be thankful:
[2:152] You shall remember Me, that I may remember you, and be thankful to Me; do not be unappreciative.
And…my favorite
[14:7] Your Lord has decreed: “The more you thank Me, the more I give you.” But if you turn unappreciative, then My retribution is severe.
This is not just God making a casual statement. ‘Your Lord has decreed’. This is an authoritative judicial command, a mandate. The more you thank God the more He gives you. It’s so simple!
[5:6] GOD does not wish to make the religion difficult for you.
It’s so easy to say thank you. Whether you say it out loud, or in your mind, God knows our innermost thoughts. So... Thank You God ... for everything.
[16:22-23] Your god is one god. As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are denying, and they are arrogant. Absolutely, GOD knows everything they conceal and everything they declare. He does not love those who are arrogant.
[Ed note: While we as submitters know that every day is a day of thanksgiving, there’s nothing wrong with sharing Thanksgiving Day with friends and family. Our example of showing our appreciation for God’s gifts may serve as a reminder to them that God needs to be remembered every single day with thanks. Happy Thanksgiving.]
George Washington in 1789 assigned a specific day “to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be….”
Abraham Lincoln in 1863 made it an official holiday. “I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States…to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau
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[3:159] It was mercy from GOD that you became compassionate towards them. Had you been harsh and mean-hearted, they would have abandoned you. Therefore, you shall pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them. Once you make a decision, carry out your plan, and trust in GOD. GOD loves those who trust in Him.
[3:160] If GOD supports you, none can defeat you. And if He abandons you, who else can support you? In GOD the believers shall trust.
Let’s reflect about God’s support and trusting in God. In many ways these two concepts go hand in hand. Along with the knowledge of God’s greatness – that all power belongs to God, that He sees everything, and that He controls everything including life and death. To trust God is to believe that no matter what happens – God has planned something good for you if you are a believer.
I realized I don’t always trust God enough.
Every time I get annoyed or upset—that’s showing lack of faith in God, that somehow God is not running everything. Because if I truly believed God is in full control, I would not get annoyed at anything—I would recognize that God did that or God allowed that to happen—so there’s a good reason.
[3:156] O you who believe, do not be like those who disbelieved and said of their kinsmen who traveled or mobilized for war, “Had they stayed with us, they would not have died or gotten killed.” GOD renders this a source of grief in their hearts. GOD controls life and death. GOD is Seer of everything you do. [3:157] Whether you get killed or die in the cause of GOD, the forgiveness from GOD, and mercy are far better than anything they hoard.
Here we see that God sees everything, He controls life and death (and everything else of course). And that if you’re working in the cause of God – don’t worry, the forgiveness and mercy are what we really should be seeking.
[10:61] You do not get into any situation, nor do you recite any Quran, nor do you do anything, without us being witnesses thereof as you do it. Not even an atom’s weight is out of your Lord’s control, be it in the heavens or the earth. Nor is there anything smaller than an atom, or larger, that is not recorded in a profound record.
Not even an atom out of God’s control is extremely reassuring. Because it tells us that we can rely totally on God and no one else. Because no one else controls an atom—only God does. So, who can help and support us? Obviously the One who controls everything and has power over everything!
In our daily lives, we must trust God. Suppose our team members at work or school aren’t pulling their weight on an important deadline. We could get harsh and mean-hearted and lash out, or we can be compassionate. We can talk with them and consult them and perhaps through this process we can each express
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