“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,” according to Psalm 111:4, and Psalm 100:5 simply states, “For the Lord is good.” How do we know that the Lord God of Heaven is good? Obviously, first of all, we know it from Scripture as quoted above and declared throughout the Bible; and John 17:17 assures us that, “Thy Word is truth.” Psalm 119:160 reaffirms that God’s “Word is true from the beginning.” It is astounding the countless times the Bible describes our God as the God of love, mercy, kindness, long-suffering, compassion, etc.

A quick glance outdoors should be enough in itself to prove the goodness of God, however. The beautiful world God created for us to inhabit reveals His heart of goodness toward mankind for we read in Isaiah 45:18, “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.”

No nation on earth has been showered more with God’s great goodness nor has more for which to be thankful than America. November is considered the month of national thanksgiving in our country. Of course, it should go without saying, that every day of our lives should be a time of gratitude to God and others around us who love, serve and bless us.

Our country has just celebrated one of the most important days of the year which we call Veterans Day. How deeply grateful we are for every veteran who has served our dear nation. Most of us have friends and/or loved ones who gave their lives for the freedom and safety we enjoy. Others live with physical injuries and mental and emotional pain from their military service. How thankful we are for each of these.

We want to take this opportunity, also, to remember all our military currently serving in active duty in any capacity, our police, firemen, all first responders and all public servants in our cities, states and nation. I (along with my wife) have just spent seven days in our local hospital in Searcy, and I have never received more compassionate care and genuine concern from more individuals than I could count in all my life. In God’s goodness, He has placed caring and selfless individuals in all walks of life to meet our needs and encourage our heart.

In about two weeks we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day, a day set aside by our nation to acknowledge God’s great goodness to our country. I have so much for which to be thankful and I would like to enumerate some of these great gifts. First of all, I am thankful for a good God who loved each of us so much He gave His only begotten Son to leave Heaven, walk 33 years on earth with mankind and give His life for our eternal salvation. I’m thankful for my homeland that was founded on Christian principles with freedom to worship my God not only privately, but publicly as well. I’m thankful for my Christian heritage, being born into a family that knew God and taught me that I needed to come to know Him, too. I’m thankful for my home and a Christian wife with whom to serve God. I’m thankful for my church where I have the privilege of meeting with God’s people to worship the Lord.

Finally, I am thankful for Heaven, the Home of the Soul, at the end of this life. Please join me there one day.

— Randy Zinn is pastor of Russell Missionary Baptist Church, Russell, Ark.; formerly of Okmulgee.