Thankfulness & Gratitude
Happy Thanksgiving friends! I have been preparing a special devotional to share with you on Thanksgiving. Now it is time to really try to understand the meaning of Thanksgiving.
Of course we all know the story of Thanksgiving. If you do not or want to refresh your memory then click here. This link will redirect you to a page on history.com where the Thanksgiving history is found. The Pilgrims were going through a pretty tough year, but when their harvest was finally successful, after much hard work and failure, they came together and celebrated their victory in thanks.
Once Thanksgiving became a national holiday, we began making our own traditions. A lot of times we forget about what Thanksgiving should really be about. Here are some verses on thankfulness and gratitude that tie in with Thanksgiving perfectly.
Philippians 4:11
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."
Psalms 100:4
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
1 Corinthians 15:57
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
2 Corinthians 15:9
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"
These are only some verses that represent thanksgiving in the bible. I would totally encourage you to dive deeper using the bible app, bible gateway, or your own bible at home. I do not know your situation. There are people suffering through many different circumstances out there, and it is hard to be thankful all the time. Our mind is trained to look at the negative or at what we don't have. When we really begin to change our way of thinking, we will truly become happy. Gratitude turns everything we have into enough. You might be going through a tough situation, but this Thanksgiving is time for you to forget about the negative and focus on the positive. Some people might ask, "why be thankful?" Well, here are some good reasons from God's Word to be thankful and grateful.
Jesus saved us by dying on the cross for our sins.
God is for us. He is always there for us!
The Holy Spirit is praying for us.
Jesus is interceding for us at the right hand of God our Father.
God is working everything out for good. He loves you and has great plans for you.
These are some of the best gifts, yet we often forget about them or to be thankful for them. God sent his own son! (pause for emphasize) His very own son came to suffer and die for our disgusting sins. He was raised back to life for us. God loved us so much, he allowed his perfect son to die in our place. Jesus loved us so much, he did not stop the crucifixion. Because of God's love and mercy on us, we are saved through grace. (Ephesians 2:5) I don't know about you, but that makes me extremely thankful. Not only should we think about these things though. We need to be thankful for every other thing or person God has placed in our lives. I pray and hope that this Thanksgiving you will be thankful and grateful and show it to others. Creating a thankful mindset leads to living a positive and happy life. Realizing all that you have and being thankful for it should become part of your daily routine of prayer. Thank God everyday for as much as you can think of! If you can make it a goal to be thankful in all circumstances, then your life will be much happier and optimistic! By all means continue exploring the topic gratitude and thankfulness throughout your day!
Love,
Samy
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