Living Your Thanksgiving

Make a glad sound to the Lord, all the earth. Give worship to the Lord with joy; come before him with a song. Be certain that the Lord is God; it is he who has made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep to whom he gives food. Come into his doors with joy, and into his house with praise; give him honour, blessing his name. For the Lord is good, and his mercy is never-ending; his faith is unchanging through all generations.
Psalm 100, The Bible in Basic English

When I was younger, Thanksgiving was pretty much just another holiday?a day when I got to eat a whole lot of good food and nibble on all the sugary stuff I wanted.


But besides being a holiday when I had permission to indulge, thanksgiving was also a word my grandmother always incorporated at the end of her prayers: "And with thanksgiving, in Jesus' name, Amen." I always wondered why she used a word that made me think of cornucopias and construction-paper turkeys; but she had the Th.D. in our family, and I did not. So I knew she must have had a good reason.

Years later, I think I now understand. In that one word, she was saying "Thank You for giving." You, being God. From my grandmother's example, I see that thanksgiving was more than a one-day family gathering. It was and is a way of living, a daily act of expressing gratitude to our Maker who first gave to us.

At this time of year, I sit and think about when I last thanked God for giving me anything?let alone His son, Jesus Christ. I'm ashamed to admit that I don't remember. But I know that I want to make such gratefulness as prominent as the giant turkey on the table and see thanksgiving become a way of life.

There's no better thanksgiving wisdom than that found in God's Word, specifically The Old One-Hundredth (Psalm 100). If you open your Bible and take a look at this passage, you'll see a notation under the heading: "A psalm. For giving thanks."

Following that, there are many directives listed that can help us live our Thanksgiving ...

Make a glad sound to the Lord
Give worship to the Lord with joy
Come before Him with a song
Be certain that the Lord is God
Come into his doors with joy, and into his house with praise
[Remember] for the Lord is good … His mercy is never-ending … His faith is unchanging
Reflect on these today, and ask the Lord how He can help you really live your Thanksgiving each day of the year.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Your celebration with friends or loved ones is probably already planned by this point. But here is your Thanksgiving Day challenge: take time to “live your Thanksgiving” and call or visit someone who is alone or having a hard time (for whatever reason) on this holiday.

Further Reading

Psalm 150