Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is Good

For some, the holidays are a warm and joyful reminder of many happy memories. For others, these special days remind us more of what we don’t have. Whether you are sitting down to a table full of turkey and fixin’s today, or eating a less traditional Thanksgiving feast with a less traditional crowd, today is a day set aside to remind us to give thanks. Let us not forget whom we are thanking and why.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5)

Even when our needs our great, we can always find something to be thankful for.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also pray for what we need—praising and praying go hand in hand.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can bring our needs directly to God!

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

So whatever your Thanksgiving Day looks like, I pray that you will feel the grace of God around you and know that he is for you—indeed a reason to give thanks.

All verses from the NIV.