Give Thanks

Thanksgiving. Gratitude. Thankfulness. Appreciation. Gratefulness. 

When the month of November arrives, those words begin making their way to the front of my mind. Because Thanksgiving is much more than a holiday; it is an attitude that overflows into action. An attitude I want to have. Action I want to do.

Since writing a series on thanksgiving last year, God has continued teaching me about gratitude and rejoicing. In all things.

So I’m going to write another series on thanksgiving, and rejoicing. Not so we will just learn more about these, but so these words can move from our minds to our hearts, and change us. Change me. Change you.  

The word “thanksgiving” seems pretty self-explanatory as to it’s meaning. Thanksgiving means giving thanks. But because each us has had different experiences when it comes to thankfulness, we each probably have slightly different ideas about it’s definition and expression. What it means. What it looks like. Its purpose. 

So together let’s look to God’s Word and explore thanksgiving throughout Scripture. For there are riches in expressing thanks…

​In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are told to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  

Thanksgiving. In all circumstances. This is God’s will. For thanksgiving turns our eyes to our good Father. And when our eyes are focused on Him, we are both humbled and uplifted.

Thanksgiving humbles us because it gives God the glory. As Psalm 69:30 says, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.” In giving thanks, we are recognizing God’s working in our lives. That it is He who provides and protects and sustains. We see what we used to take for granted as precious gifts from the Great Giver.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” (Psalm 100:4) 

“Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.” (Psalm 118:19-20)

We are to come into God’s presence with thanksgiving. And through thanksgiving, we come to see His presence more fully, as we glorify Him and notice His goodness and love. So we are also uplifted, knowing that our God is will us; that we can enter into His presence through the gate of thanksgiving.

“The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.” (Isaiah 51:3)

“I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing.” (Jeremiah 30:18-19)

Thankfulness is a mark of Jesus’ transforming love in our lives. Our deserts have been turned into gardens, our wastelands now bear the fruit of God’s Spirit. And with thanksgiving we praise our Savior for His redeeming, restoring and renewing of us. 

​One of my favorite passages of Scripture about giving thanks is Psalm 107:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
“Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 
“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.
“Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So He subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. 
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. 
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
“Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. 
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. 
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” (vv. 1-22)

Can you relate to any of these situations? Have you seen God’s might hand move in your own life and save and provide?

​Give thanks to the Lord for He good and His love is never-ending! He hears and rescues and redeems and gathers and transforms and gives belonging and guides and forgives and heals… I could go on…

True thanksgiving must be given, it must be expressed, it must be voiced. For true thanksgiving is not only recognizing but also proclaiming God’s character and His displaying of that character through His deeds. His love shown in kindness. His might shown in providing. His power shown in healing. 

As we see the power of giving thanks, it is no wonder thanksgiving is God’s will for us. And yet, it is a wonder. A wonder that the God of the universe would gift us with such a beautiful way to interact with Himself. For that, I am filled with wonder. For that, I am filled with gratitude.

As I write this series on the blog, I will also be sending out a series of emails focusing on thanksgiving, with weekly Scripture readings, journaling pages, and Scripture art. Subscribe so you don’t miss out!

The post Give Thanks first appeared on The Overflowing
All Scriptures taken from the NIV