It is widely thought in the United States that the pilgrims invented the idea of our traditional Thanksgiving meal, but the very concept of Thanksgiving Day has its roots in the Hebrew Scriptures. The pilgrims would know this and so they gathered for a ceremonial meal to express their gratitude to God that they were alive and their thankfulness that He had brought them safely to this new land.

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Show Notes:

Something special happens when we give thanks. A lot of the problems we see in this country and the world are due to a lack of real thankfulness to God. We need to recognize that giving thanks has the power to release the blessings and favor of God in our lives, in our families, and in our country.

We can always look at the negative things in life. But why do that? What does it accomplish for us? Instead of celebrating a day of Thanksgiving, can we enter into a life of thanksgiving? Can we become a people of thanksgiving and thankfulness in worship? Can we live every day with hearts that are filled with love and thanksgiving to God and to one another? This may seem simple, but with it we could really change the world.

Key Verses:

• 1 Corinthians 4:7–8. “What do you have that you did not receive?”
• Leviticus 7:11–15. “The sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving.”
• Leviticus 22:28–30. “A sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord.”
• 1 Chronicles 23:27–31. “To thank and to praise the Lord.”
• 2 Chronicles 29:31. “Bring sacrifices and thank offerings.”
• Jeremiah 33:10–16. “Bring a thank offering into the house of the Lord.”
• Nehemiah 12:46. “Songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving.”
• Jeremiah 30:18–19. “From them will proceed thanksgiving.”
• Jonah 2:9–10. “I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving.”
• Psalm 28:7. “And with my song I shall thank Him.”
• Psalm 54:6. “I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord.”
• Psalm 107:20–22. “Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving.”
• Psalm 116:17. “To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”
• Psalm 26:7. “I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving.”
• Psalm 50:14–15. “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”
• Psalm 50:22–23. “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.”
• Psalm 69:30. “And magnify Him with thanksgiving.”
• Psalm 100:4. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving.”
• Hebrews 13:15. “Lips that give thanks to His name.”
• Colossians 4:2. “Prayer … with an attitude of thanksgiving.”
• Philippians 4:6. “By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:4. “I thank my God always concerning you.”
• Psalm 50:22–23. “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.”
• Revelation 7:11–12. “Thanksgiving … be to our God forever.”

Quotes:

• “There is always a way to be thankful for the things that we have around us.”
• “You will never correct anything by looking at the negative. You correct things by looking to the Lord and being thankful for all He has done, because you know that every day, He is going to continue to do more and more for you.”
• “Maybe the reason why this country is so devoid of God’s blessings is because we are not thankful. If we were to offer Him our real thanksgiving, He would bring back His blessings and restore to us all of the things that this country has lost over the years.”
• “If you are looking for deliverance—a release from oppression or a demonic assault against you or your family—do not just wait on God to move. Do not sit and complain to Him about how hard your life is. Start being thankful for the little things that God has given you, and as you develop a thankful heart, God will bring you a bigger deliverance than you can imagine!”

Takeaways:

1. You have the power to choose and determine to be thankful to God. It is not required of you.
2. Being thankful will bring God’s blessing into your life. It is that simple.
3. Being thankful changes your attitude. It changes the way you think and perceive the world around you.
4. Write down five things every day that you are personally thankful to God for.
5. Make it a habit for your family to regularly sit down together and write three to five things that you each appreciate about the others, and then express your thankfulness to one another. Undoubtedly you will want to make expressions of thankfulness part of your celebration on Thanksgiving Day!