Since I am writing this devotion the week of Thanksgiving, I thought we would just look at 5 verses about giving thanks. I will start with Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His loving-kindness is everlasting.” We start our time of thankfulness with our Lord because He is good and his loving-kindness (unconditional, loyal, love) is eternal. Why don’t you take a few minutes to get on your knees and thank God for his goodness and loving-kindness?
The second verse is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” Now, let’s give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ that God has put into our life.
The third verse(s) of thankfulness deals with the remembrance of Jesus’ death. The context of these verses is the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples in Luke 22:19-20 “And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Not only should we give thanks and remember Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf when we partake in the Lord’s Supper, but let’s take some time right now to thank Jesus for His broken body and shed blood for us.
The fourth verse(s) of thankfulness is found in the chapter known as the resurrection chapter (1 Corinthians 15:56-57) “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The only way that we have victory is because Christ was raised from the grave. Listen to verses 16 and 17 “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” He has risen indeed! Take time to give thanks that you have victory in Jesus Christ!
Our last verse of thankfulness is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice, it says in everything, give thanks! You know what to do. By the time you read this, the day we celebrate as Thanksgiving will have passed. However, God wants us to be thankful always – not just on one day a year. Let’s live thankful lives to our great and awesome God! Thanks for taking time to read these devotions. See you next week in Colossians!