Your church may not use the church calendar throughout the year and that is perfectly fine. Therefore, you may not know that this past Friday was All Saints’ Day. This day is a very special day for me because it reminds me to give thanks to the Lord regularly for those whom God used to lead me to saving faith in Jesus.

On this day, we take time to praise our God for all those who have faithfully served our Savior through the ages. We claim our kinship with the glorious company of apostles, the noble fellowship of prophets, the white-robed army of martyrs, and even members of our family who are now members of the Church Triumphant who have died and are with the Lord.

This day expands our awareness of a great company of witnesses above and around us like a cloud (Hebrews 12:1). It lifts us out of a preoccupation with our own circumstances and discouragements as we remember that our forefathers in the faith persevered through great difficulty.

On this day, we express our gratitude to God:

• For those who in ages of spiritual darkness kept the faith,
• For those who have taken the gospel to the ends of the earth,
• For those prophetic voices who have called the church to faithfulness in life and doctrine,
• For those who have given, prayed, and worked to ensure that the gospel torch burns brightly in Chattanooga and throughout the world.

Why not make this All Saints’ weekend very personal? Take a moment to thank the Lord for the people who are now with the Lord who impacted you during their earthly life.