Tis the Season for Giving Thanks

The coming of November signals the beginning of the holiday season with Thanksgiving and Christmas rapidly approaching.  Between church, home, and school, the kids bring home craft projects, learn poems, stories, and songs, and hopefully are taught the significance of the holidays in the process.

Thanksgiving encourages us to focus on God’s provision; the people, places, things, and circumstances that come our way; and to express thanks.  Sometimes in the busyness of preparation, gratitude may have a tendency to take a back seat if we are not intentional about making it a priority.  Thankfulness takes time…time to notice and speak words of gratitude, appreciation, and encouragement to cashiers in the store, at the cleaners, at Starbuck’s (that one’s for Larry), the lady at the cleaners, the car mechanic, the ones who hold the door open for you to walk through, the ones who hold the door open for you to walk through, those who clean off tables and wait on us when we eat out, our family,  and so many others who serve and bless us.  It is important to take a moment to thank God and others for their provision, gifts, and service.   Whether it is written, drawn, or verbal, we need to express our thanks and continually develop an attitude of gratitude that we pass on to future generations.

Oh, for the day to come when our hearts, words, and deeds depict that every day is Thanksgiving.  With overflowing gratitude for God’s goodness, may we be willing to share our words, time, talents, resources, and love generously during this season of thanks and giving.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Psalm 95:2

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!

I Chronicles 16:8

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

I Chronicles 16:34

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.

Psalm 57:9

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Psalm 79:13

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Psalm 100:4

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 15:57

Saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Revelation 7:12