Another Thanksgiving

Psalm 18:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

One of the highlights of our Thanksgiving dinner occurs when we go around the table and share something we’re thankful for in the past year. Since our meal includes extended family, it’s not unusual to hear twenty to thirty people express their gratitude.

Over the years we’ve given thanks for everything from new babies to Penn State football winning seasons. One year we all ganged up on my brother who was visiting from Ohio with his new girlfriend. Unbeknownst to him or her, when it came our turn, we each thanked God with how happy we were that Marty finally had a girlfriend! Everyone had a good laugh, (even more so when they got engaged that Christmas). And every year it seems at least one person expresses gratitude that we can all be together another Thanksgiving.

I can’t overstate the value of expressing thanks. The Bible mentions some form of thankfulness over 144 times. The priests in the Old Testament regularly presented thank offerings for deliverance from sickness or death (Ps. 107). Some Levites were selected specifically to “give thanks” (1 Chron. 16:4.). Nehemiah appointed two large choirs for the sole purpose of giving thanks (Nehemiah 12). Imagine that. Professional thank-ers!

In the New Testament, God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances (1Thes. 5:18). Paul thanked God every time he thought of the Philippians (Phil 1:3) and he couldn’t stop thanking God for what he had done in Ephesian believers (Eph.1:16). He thanked God for the Romans, Colossians and Corinthians (Rom. 1:8; Col. 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:4). God clearly wants his people to be thankful.

Thankfulness packs a powerful punch. The other day my husband and I were talking, and the conversation started to turn negative. I said, “Let’s take turns mentioning what we’re thankful for rather than what’s disappointing us right now.” It wasn’t long before our attitudes took a dramatic shift. We found more to be thankful for than we realized. It’s amazing what happens when you focus more on what you have than what you don’t have.

So I pray you all have a thanks-filled Thanksgiving. Whether you express gratitude around your table, or you pour out your heart to the Lord who loves you,  may you always remember, no matter what the season, to  “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.”