Happy Thanksgiving
Dear Reader:
As difficult to believe as it may be, Thanksgiving is upon us once again.
Primarily celebrated by Americans on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving traces its origins to a 1621 harvest feast shared by English Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. The gratitude-themed holiday is marked by a traditional meal that includes turkey, dressing, pie, and a host of other food fun-a-tees.
Classic movies like “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” are favorite stories associated with the holiday. And of course, there’s the nationally televised football games that friends and families sit together and watch Throughout the day, people share personal stories and memories that capture the spirit of Thanksgiving and stress the value of people coming together to appreciate life’s blessings.
The Bible touts the importance of maintaining a thankful heart. Gratitude is a sound biblical perspective.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Here are 7 Bible verses to help you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration [translations are NIV unless noted otherwise].
1 CHRONICLES 16:34 (ESV)
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!
PSALM 103:1-4
Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.
ISAIAH 12:4-5 (NASB)
And on that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.” Praise the LORD in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
COLOSSIANS 2:6-7 (NKJV)
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
HEBREWS 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
JAMES 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
I pray that your Thanksgiving is filled with great food, beloved family, and an abundance of gratitude for all of God’s blessings.
Feel free to hit me up in the comments and share your Thanksgiving experiences. I always love hearing from you.
In the meantime—-BE THANKFUL!
Abundant blessings and happy blogging,
Biography: Rainer Bantau is a husband, mentor, and storyteller whose passion is helping people draw closer to Jesus. After rededicating his life to Christ in 2007, he has shared God’s Word in churches across Texas and walked alongside others as a trusted guide in their faith journeys. A visual artist, Rainer’s work has been shown throughout the state, often reflecting themes of hope, redemption, and the beauty of God’s creation. Rainer also writes The Devotional Guy™ blog, where he encourages readers to hold fast to their faith through life’s joys and struggles. He and his wife, Terri, make their home in Richardson, Texas, where they live next door to her parents and enjoy the company of a lively menagerie of pets. Grateful for God’s grace, Rainer seeks to live each day in a way that leaves a legacy of faith for future generations.
https://thedevotionalguy.blog/
Image by DEEPAI
Well and Good! Thanksgiving is an opportunity to deepen one’s spiritual understanding and practice gratitude through action, not just words. The holiday should signify the Bible being better understood, the first commandment becoming more imperative, and loving one’s neighbor being more possible and pleasurable. Thanksgiving Day services should emphasize gratitude for blessings and promote spiritual healing.
Your friend -His servant,
Isaac Otieno