Thanksgiving is one of our family’s favorite times of year. I don’t know whether it’s the family traditions of Thanksgiving, the great big menu we plan, all the family that visits, or the food. Let’s be honest, it’s the food! Who doesn’t look forward to all that comfort food…and let’s not forget the dessert!!
Thanksgiving often looks different in adulthood than it did as a child, but one thing has stayed the same and that is the many memories with grandparents and extended family. Seeing the table decorated with Grandma’s special dishes, getting to use cloth napkins, and see all the turkey decorations really stick out in my memories of Thanksgivings past.
Thanksgiving had such a positive impact on my life that I always wished it was something our family could do every week! Sharing a meal and gathering with friends and family was the most fun and anticipating part of the holiday, but I never gave much thought to the giving of thanks and praises to God. As believers, we shouldn’t need a holiday to remind us to give thanks to the Lord and praise Him for who He is and what He has done on our behalf. Giving thanks to Him should be second nature – something we do with each breath we breathe.
Billy Graham once wrote, “Thanksgiving for the believer should not be a once-a-year celebration, but a daily reality that changes our life and makes us a joyful people in every situation. Giving thanks to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must not allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our heart and chill our relationship with God and with others. Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness.”
The Bible is full of verses with people giving thanks to God and reminding us to give praise to His name, from Genesis to Revelation. We can’t disassociate God’s name from thanksgiving because each one of His attributes generates in us praise for Him. Our minds dwell on His goodness. Our hearts are glad with His joy. Our mouths can’t help but shout His praises. Every time we worship Him, we are giving Him thanks.
We thank Him for Who He is:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” – 1 Chronicles 16:34
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.” – Psalm 28:7
“And now we thank you, our God, and praise Your glorious name.” – 1 Chronicles 29:13
“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that Your love stands firm forever, that You have established Your faithfulness in heaven itself.” – Psalm 89:1-2
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” – Psalm 95:1-3
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” – Psalm 100:4
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” – Psalm 107:8-9
We thank Him for what He has done:
“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” – 1 Chronicles 16:23-26
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.'” – Hebrews 12:28-29
“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” – Psalm 69:30
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
But, we thank God especially for His salvation in Jesus Christ!
God has given us the greatest Gift of all—His Son, who died on the cross and rose again so that we can know Him personally and spend eternity with Him in heaven.
2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
The Bible tells us that we are separated from God because we have sinned. But God loves us—He loves you, He loves me—and He wants us to be part of His family forever. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son into the world to die as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. All we need to do is reach out in faith and accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”
Have you opened your heart to Jesus Christ? If not, turn to Him with a simple prayer of repentance and faith, and thank Him for what He has done for you. And if you do know Christ, how long has it been since you thanked God for your salvation? We should not let a day go by without thanking God for His mercy and His grace to us in Jesus Christ.
