What Does Giving Thanks Mean to You?
Today, in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving! But wherever you live, take time to give thanks for all we have.
In the US, however, Thanksgiving Day has morphed into a day of eating too much, watching football on television, and starting Christmas shopping in earnest.
No matter where you live or what you’re doing today, take a moment to thank God for what he’s done in your life over the past year and how he’s cared for you.
As we do this, we might want to consider what the Bible says about thanksgiving.
The word “thanksgiving” occurs twenty-two times in the Bible (thirty, if you include the headings that were added later).
- Leviticus mentions offerings of thanksgiving.
- In Ezra and Nehemiah, there is much thanksgiving as the people return to their homeland and rebuild the city.
- Of course, Psalms uses the word, too.
- Even the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, which have little to celebrate, both mention thanksgiving, albeit as a future event.
- Lastly, many of Paul’s letters include thanksgiving in them.
That’s a lot of thanksgiving to consider!
Wherever you live in the world, may you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving!
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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