Let’s give thanks...
I love Thanksgiving, and now that my children are older, I look forward to this day even more because my babies will be home and we will all sit at the table together. I always say that I am not going to cook too much food but still do. The fun part is making each person’s favorite side dish which turns into way more than I ever anticipate. For example, not counting other side dishes, our dinner includes four dishes of potatoes: mashed potatoes, hash brown casserole, potato salad, and sweet potato casserole. The upside is that our dinner is prepared for the next week because we are a family that makes use of leftovers.
Of course, maybe my going a bit overboard on the feast was learned from my mother. Thanksgiving dinner was a big deal when I was a child, and it is the only memory I have of my dad cooking (besides grilling steaks outside). Every Thanksgiving, his encounter with the kitchen was brief, but he always came in long enough to mix up the stuffing. I am thankful for that memory of him.
Speaking of being thankful, as much as we think of the meal, our focus should be THANKSGIVING. But wait… shouldn’t we give thanks every day?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul instructs, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God concerning you” (KJV). According to this verse, we are to give thanks in everything (every situation/every circumstance). Here are some examples from the Bible of giving thanks:
- Give thanks for what God has already done for you: David sets an example in Psalm 105:1-2 as he writes, “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works” (KJV). We should not forget the work God has already done in our lives. We should remember them, thank God for His works, and tell others. Let God’s work in our lives be a witness and a testimony of His power and love to others.
- Give thanks in the midst of the storm: Jonah gives thanks to God in the belly of the fish. Jonah was not in the best of circumstances when he chose to give gratitude. However, Jonah’s heart had been opened. He realized his current situation was God working in his life, and Jonah was grateful for that. “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving…” (Jonah 2:9 KJV).
- Give thanks after the storm: Noah is a clear example because he literally gave thanks to God for bringing him and his family through the storm. When Noah came off the ark, he built an altar to show thanks to God. “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord…” (Genesis 8:20 KJV).
- Give thanks to God for listening to your prayers: In Psalm 66, David gave thanks to God for listening to his prayers. “But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me” (Psalm 66:19-20 KJV). Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus thanked God for listening to Him. “…And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me” (John 11:41 KJV).
- Give thanks for God’s provisions: Jesus thanked God for the food before He fed the 5,000 with the five loaves of bread and the two fish. “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down…” (John 6:11 KJV).
- Give thanks for the people God places in your life: When Paul arrived in Rome, he was so moved that believers had traveled so far to greet him that he gave thanks to God. “…whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage” (Acts 28:15 KJV).
Sometimes, it is not easy to be grateful when we are going through those valleys in life. But, oftentimes, we can look back and see just how God was using that valley. Jonah gave thanks to God from the belly of a fish. He knew he had run away from God. He knew God was getting his attention. His eyes and his heart had been opened, and he was thankful God had not forgotten him. God cared.
Then again, when things are smooth sailing and all is great, we forget to give thanks.
Let us not forget to give thanks in every situation and for everything. Let us remember that God knows what will happen tomorrow just as much as what happened yesterday. And He is in control. If we remember that, we can give thanks in all circumstances and know that every storm we weather will not go without a purpose.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Let’s give thanks!
