Written by: Lucas Bueno
We are now on the verge of Thanksgiving break. On Nov. 28, families will once again celebrate the holiday by preparing and enjoying green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, tofurky and pumpkin pie. Most importantly, many Americans will take time to give thanks.
While this holiday has been highly commercialized, it is good to understand its main purpose: gratitude. The Puritan Pilgrims who settled in America in the 1620s held a feast to give thanks to God for leading and helping them through harsh winters and other immense difficulties. This custom was not new; many Christian denominations had holidays and time set apart for thanksgiving, and even in Israelite times, there were times and feasts of thanksgiving, including after the harvesting of crops.
As we approach this Thanksgiving season and enjoy time with family and friends, food, the televised Thanksgiving Day parade, football and the following day’s crazy Black Friday, let us take a moment to truly reflect on thanksgiving and the blessings God has given us.
Psalm 100 ESV says, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
Let us imitate this Psalm this Thanksgiving season. Maybe you can make a list of what you are thankful for and use this list in daily devotional time. While it is important to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day, the attitude of thanksgiving is always needed. By giving thanks to God, we place more focus on Him and His will, rather than ourselves. We learn to find blessings even in the hard times. Acknowledging the blessings of God can encourage us and give us more focus on the plan God has for us. May we all give thanks this Thanksgiving and continually.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. … The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4, 6-7 ESV.
