By Tom Shanklin

Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful tradition in our nation. For our family, it’s a highlight of the year, when we gather together to feast, love one another, and give thanks to God for His many blessings.

The First Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 after the early European settlers known as the Pilgrims gathered their first harvest in the New World. It was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 pilgrims and lasted three days. It has been celebrated off and on in the United States since a proclamation by President George Washington in 1789 and as a federal holiday every year since 1863, when, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. (Source Wikipedia)

But Thanksgiving is more than an American holiday! It’s a powerful instrument of change upon the lips of every believer in Jesus Christ. It’s something that we can do to glorify God, change the spiritual atmosphere, and bring a release of our faith in God.

Consider some of the ways that thanksgiving toward God works for you!

1. GIVING THANKS HELPS YOU TO DRAW NEAR TO GOD

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (Psalms 100:4, KJV). Thanksgiving is an avenue into the presence of God. It will lift you out of the “mulligrubs” of this life into a spiritual place of joy and peace. As the scripture says, we can “put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (Is. 61:3) It also says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. . .(Pr. 17:22) Praising and thanking God is one of the best known cures for depression and many other ailments as well. So take your eyes off all the worries, cares and problems of this life and begin to praise the Lord for all He has done.

2. GIVING THANKS ATTRACTS THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. (Psalms 50:23, KJV). Two people may encounter the same situation—in their business, their church, or their family. One sees the problems and the other sees the possibilities. Some people are shaped and molded by their environment; others shape their environment through faith in God. Give God thanks for what you DO have, instead of what you DON’T have. Recently, our chickens were laying fewer eggs than usual. I found myself murmuring and complaining. Then I corrected myself and started thanking God for what they DID lay, and THEN thanking God for more. Murmuring and complaining undermines your faith. Praise and thanksgiving causes your faith to be sustained and empowered.

3. GIVING THANKS HELPS YOU TO RECEIVE FROM GOD

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  (Philippians 4:6, KJV). I cannot tell you how many times I have applied this scripture to seemingly impossible situations and received help from the Lord. When you are in a tight space, remember this verse. Let your heavenly Father know what you are requesting from Him. Make a definite petition! Write it down and date it! Then just begin to give Him thanks that He has heard your petition and is bringing forth the answer to your prayer. Your prayer is like tacking down a piece of plywood to a frame; giving thanks for the answer ahead of time is like nailing it securely.

4. GIVING THANKS HELPS YOU TO KEEP AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  (Colossians 1:12, KJV) No matter what challenges you are facing in your life, If you are a born again Christian, you have much to be thankful for! You have a bright future with the Lord! Life has it’s trials, but keep in mind that your life on this earth is only a vapor—here one day and gone the next. It is eternity that matters most, for you and for those you love. By giving thanks to God continually for His gift of eternal life, you will live with a proper and accurate perspective that will keep you grounded as you navigate your journey here on earth.

Susan and I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! We pray that you will experience the joy of knowing Jesus during this holiday season.

Glory to God!