If we go to Merriam-Webster, it defines thanksgiving as,

1. a day: Thanksgiving Day, a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness

2. the act of giving thanks

3. a prayer expressing gratitude

As Christians, we can wholeheartedly agree with the divine goodness and spirit of the day. We can also agree that it is the act of giving thanks, plus we appreciate Webster’s definition as an expression of gratitude. Although the dictionary definition does not reflect God, we can appreciate the nature of giving thanks to a greater power.

For that answer, we leave our view of the national holiday and view it in light of our Creator and us, His beings, created in His image. 

Paul expresses his heart of thankfulness in his letter to the Church at Ephesus. The following verse comes in the context that we should not sin and follow the ways of the world but live in a state of spiritual worship and thanksgiving.

²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. -Ephesians 5:20 (NIV)

Once again in Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth, he writes how to live a life of joy and gratitude no matter our situation.

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

And we dare not leave out James’ letter and his writing on the goodness we receive from our heavenly Father.

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. 

-James 1:17 (NIV)

Let's not think of the holiday. Rather, let's consider the word, thanksgiving. While we often say we are thankful people, are we? What all does thankfulness include? When you are thankful, what other emotions or actions accompany Christian thanksgiving? Take a moment and reflect. Does it include joy? Peace? Comfort?

Let's consider a Bible story—not a parable, but a true incident in Jesus' life. 

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, walking along the border that separated Samaria and Galilee. As Jesus and His disciples entered a village, ten men infected with leprosy met Him. As the Old Testament Law demanded, they stood at a distance and called out to Jesus. Let's pick up the incident in Luke 17:13b-19.

13b Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

 -Luke 17:13b–19 (NIV)

Luke said it was a Samaritan who returned to praise God and thank Jesus. Why did Luke identify the healed man as a Samaritan? Even though we don't know the nationality of the other nine men, they were likely all Jews or possibly a mixture of Jews and Samaritans. Jesus identified the man who returned to Him as a foreigner, making special note of the difference of him and the other nine. 

Jesus was a Jew, and you would think that the Jews Jesus healed of leprosy would have been the most grateful to Jesus. After all, Jesus was like-blood to them, but it was the man of a different nationality who returned to thank Him. 

However, notice the difference between Luke's description of the man's actions and Jesus' view. Luke said the Samaritan threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him, whereas Jesus described the man's action of thankfulness as praise to God.

Jesus so greatly appreciated the man's thanksgiving that He counted it as worship. The foreigner gave praise to God, worshipping God for what Jesus had done for him.

Is your thankfulness an act of worshipping God? Do you consider thanksgiving as worship? King David was a master at praise, worship, and thanksgiving to God, so can we mimic him? Let’s take some time in the coming season of Thanksgiving to read some of David's psalms. Let's not forget that God loves to hear our prayers of thankfulness. He loves to listen to us exalt His name in praise. 

God has blessed every one of us far beyond what we deserve. After all, we deserve nothing, yet He placed us in a country of great riches. But our thankfulness to Him should not depend on life’s circumstances or wealth. Our thanksgiving is to come from within for breath of life, food, shelter, clothing, and most of all, for salvation in Jesus Christ, His Son.

Let’s conclude with a psalm of David that includes hardships, yet David gives thanksgiving to God for what he knows will come. Even though we may not be in a battle like David with enemies who are out to kill us, we each have daily challenges and hardships. Our God still sustains us. He is with us and carries us with blessings. Thanksgiving is praise and worship of the Lord our God.

¹ Praise be to the Lord my Rock,

   who trains my hands for war,

   my fingers for battle.

² He is my loving God and my fortress,

    my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield, in whom I take refuge,

    who subdues peoples under me.

³ Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,

    mere mortals that you think of them?

⁴ They are like a breath;

    their days are like a fleeting shadow.

⁵ Part your heavens, Lord, and come down;

    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.

⁶ Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;

    shoot your arrows and rout them.

⁷ Reach down your hand from on high;

    deliver me and rescue me

 from the mighty waters,

    from the hands of foreigners

⁸ whose mouths are full of lies,

    whose right hands are deceitful.

⁹ I will sing a new song to you, my God;

    on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

¹⁰ to the One who gives victory to kings,

    who delivers his servant David.

 From the deadly sword ¹¹ deliver me;

    rescue me from the hands of foreigners

 whose mouths are full of lies,

    whose right hands are deceitful.

¹² Then our sons in their youth

    will be like well-nurtured plants,

 and our daughters will be like pillars

    carved to adorn a palace.

¹³ Our barns will be filled

    with every kind of provision.

 Our sheep will increase by thousands,

    by tens of thousands in our fields;

¹⁴ our oxen will draw heavy loads.

 There will be no breaching of walls,

    no going into captivity,

    no cry of distress in our streets.

¹⁵ Blessed is the people of whom this is true;

    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

 -Psalm 144 (NIV)

May God bless you this season of Thanksgiving.

Love you,

Kenny