Thanksgiving is much more than a holiday…it is a lifestyle for Christians
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18).
Thanksgiving, USA. 1942 Author Unknown
Many people ask what God’s will is for their lives but we can know the will of God and it’s not a mystery. We are to give thanks in all circumstances…good and bad (Rom 8:28) because God is sovereign over all things, even your problems, so God’s will is clear; give thanks to God in Christ Jesus.
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1)!
We should be ever thankful to God and not just during Thanksgiving. We should thank Him for His steadfast love. It’s a love that does not change with our obedience or disobedience…because He is steadfast in His love, even when we’re not steadfast in obedience. Shouldn’t that create a thankful heart in you and me?
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name” (Psalm 100:4)!
This verse very much reminds me of coming to church and entering His presence with thanksgiving. We should give Him thanks for everything, and bless the name of the Lord, for He is worthy of our gratitude, so let’s enter worship services with a glad heart, giving Him the praise He is due.
“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High” (Psalm 50:14).
He loves to hear our praise and thanksgiving
The Old Testament required sacrifices to remind the people of their sins and the ugliness of what sin brings; death to the animal being sacrificed, but today we can still make offerings to God. We can make offerings of thanksgiving to God and He sees this as a sacrifice. Imagine; we can give God an offering today but that offering is thanking God for Who He is (Heb 13:15) and what He’s done for us (John 3:16).
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6).
When we become anxious over things in life that we cannot control, why not pray about it? If there is something in our life we cannot fix on our own, why not pray to Him Who can and just let God know your requests but add thanksgiving to your requests, for He is pleased when we are thankful to Him for all He has done for us.
“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving” (
Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving
Psalm 69:30).
We should be thankful to God in prayer, but we can also pour out our thanks to God in a song. Worship music is a way to give thanks to God in music. This magnifies God before our eyes and when He is magnified, He is more glorified and we can pour out our thanks to Him as they used to pour out drink offerings in the Old Testament. Today, we pour out our lives for Him with an attitude of thanksgiving. With this He is well pleased. How do you feel when people thank you for something you’ve done?
“Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20).
Thanksgiving is not just a national holiday or only one day reserved for thanking God. It should be our hearts delight to be “giving thanks always and for everything” to the Lord because of His Son, Jesus Christ, Who died for the ungodly wicked enemies (Rom 5:6-10).
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57).
The greatest thankfulness we should be expressing is that Christ died for us and gave us victory over sin and the grave through Jesus Christ. We are victors through Him, so why not thank Him for the victory He purchased with His own body and blood? The battle is over…we’ve been declared victors through Christ, so why not pour out our thanksgiving to Him, for He is due our praise and thanksgiving…not just today, or on a national holiday like Thanksgiving, but every single day.
In Everything Give Thanks
“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD” (Jonah 2:9)!
If you had nearly died in the belly of a great fish, I imagine you’d be very, very thankful. Jonah was thankful God spared him and this is the reason why he praised God and gave Him thanks with his voice, meaning Jonah spoke to God thanksgiving and not just thinking about it. Tell God, in so many words, that you are thankful to Him that God Who did not spare His only Son (Rom 8:32), spared you because of His only Son.
Conclusion
I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.
Here is some related reading for you: 10 Prayers of Thanksgiving and Praise
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Welcome to What Christians Want To Know! The mission of this site is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians. Look for regular updates including Bible Verses, Bible Stories, Christian Quotes, Christian Answers, and much more. Find out 
