Thanksgiving Week Reflections


Several months ago, my sister, Ginny and I were visiting and she told me of a quote that she had read which said, “What if you woke up tomorrow morning and you had only the things that you were thankful for today.” This was a pretty startling question and made me examine my thankful quotient.

I try to be thankful, not only because the Bible commands it of us but also because I have so much to be thankful for in my life. A thankful heart can always be improved upon, so I did a little research to see what the Bible says on the subject. I was rather shocked to find out that the word thanksgiving is only used 32 times in the NIV translation of the Bible; however, there are some powerful things that are described in them. Let’s take a look…

First, we are supposed to give thanks to God for every good thing comes from Him. It’s easy to fall into the trap of grumbling and complaining, so we need to refocus so that we become people who are thankful. How many times a day do you thank God for all that He does for you?
 
Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.

  • We should thank Him for being who He is—for all of the attributes that He alone possesses. How many of them can you name?
Psalm 106:1 Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.
  • God should be thanked for the people that He puts in our lives. Who will you thank Him for from your past and your present?
Colossians 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.
  • Jesus thanked the Father for His daily bread. Do you take your ordinary everyday provision for granted or do you thank God for them?
John 6:11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
  • Do you thank God for answered prayers or do you move so quickly to the next request that you forget to be appreciative of what He has already done?
Psalm 118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
  • The Bible says that we are to give thanks in every situation, not just in the good times. If you are going through a tough time, are you able to find things to thank God for? (If not, call me and I will help you to find some things to be thankful for, no matter’s happening in your life.)
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
  • God has given us abundant spiritual blessings. Have you thanked Him for your salvation and everything that it means?
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
  • God doesn’t want us to thank Him only one day out of the year. Instead He wants us to thank Him throughout every day of the year. Do you wake up with thanksgiving? Do you thank Him as you go about your day? Do you thank Him at the end of the day?
Psalm 119:62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.
  • Do you show your appreciation for all that God has done for you by telling others about it?
1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
  • The way we act shows God if we are truly thankful. What do your actions tell God?
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
  • We should be practicing our thankfulness right now, because we will be doing it for all of eternity.
Revelation 11: 17 “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.”

So will you join me in spending time this week reflecting on these questions and become more thankful in the process?

Happy Thanksgiving!

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