“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NASB 1995)

Thanksgiving is a time when we, as Americans, pause to reflect on our nation’s history and give thanks for the Pilgrims who dared to venture to an unfamiliar land, for the Native people who had long lived here, and for the harvest feast they shared. It is a time when we give thanks for a similar feast, family gatherings, football games, and a four-day weekend!

Thanksgiving can also be a time to reflect on what life would be like if we learned to give thanks to God every day. To help us make progress in that direction, I want to address three questions. What does the Bible mean when it instructs us to give thanks? Why does the Bible instruct us to give thanks? And what does the Bible instruct us to give thanks for?

What Does the Bible Mean When It Instructs Us to Give Thanks?

One of the Hebrew words the Old Testament uses for giving thanks is yadah. It can mean “to give thanks,” “to praise,” or “to confess,” depending on the context. When we confess our sin, we recognize what we have done and openly acknowledge it. When we see something good or beautiful or breathtaking in the Word of God, the character of God, or the works of God, we openly acknowledge that as well. In 1 Chronicles 16:34, that acknowledgment takes the form of giving thanks for the Lord’s goodness.

In the New Testament, the Greek verb eucharisteō means to give thanks or express gratitude. When the Bible instructs us to give thanks, it encourages us to see and savor God’s glory, greatness, goodness, and grace and then openly declare what we’ve seen in Him with gladness, gratefulness, and sincerity.

Why Does the Bible Instruct Us to Give Thanks?

Paul captures why Scripture calls us to give thanks. “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15, NIV). God gives us good gifts for our benefit, satisfaction, and joy so that we might praise and exalt Him in the sight of others. As we do this, our joy deepens, God is glorified, and others have an opportunity to respond to Him.

Earnest thanksgiving is a spontaneous, heartfelt response to finding benefit, satisfaction, and joy in someone or something. When I thank my wife Kim for doing something for me, it comes from the joy I find in the life we share and in the kindness she shows me. I thank her both privately and publicly because I’m delighted that I get to live my life with her!

Likewise, when we see something of the glory, greatness, goodness, and grace of God in our lives, we thank Him because we find joy in who He is, how He loves us, and what He has revealed about Himself and done for us. We thank Him privately and publicly because we are delighted to live with Him and receive so much from Him!

As we delight in Him to the point that our hearts overflow with thanksgiving, we speak of that delight in the presence of others. In this way, we exalt His glory, greatness, goodness, and grace in the sight of others.

One day a family member of mine commented, “I’m so impressed with how you’ve turned your life around.” I joyfully responded, “I appreciate that, but I didn’t turn my life around—Jesus did it!” I was speaking the truth with love and joy, magnifying God’s glory.

What Does the Bible Instruct Us to Give Thanks For?

Throughout Scripture, we are called to thank God for who He is and what He does. For example, we are to thank Him for His power and might over creation (1 Chronicles 29:11–13), for His faithful defense and protection (Psalm 28:7), for His work of salvation (Romans 6:17), for the victory He gives us in Christ and will bring to completion on that great and final day (1 Corinthians 15:57 and 2 Corinthians 2:14), and for His eternal lovingkindness (1 Chronicles 16:34).

Thanksgiving in the Bible is radically God-centered. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB 1995), “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Learn to see and savor what God is doing in every circumstance and aspect of life, and give Him thanks for what you see.

This Thanksgiving, give thanks to God for providing the food and giving you a sense of taste to savor every bite. Thank Him for giving you this family and giving you to them, and for granting you the time to enjoy each other’s company.

As you watch your team play, give thanks to God for giving people the ability to make up games and play them with passion. If you have a few days off, thank Him for the time to rest, spend time with your family, or get a few things done around the house.

As we put God at the center of our thanksgiving, He is glorified through us, and we find deeper satisfaction in Him. Let us learn to see and savor God in all things, to take joy in Him in all things, and to express our thanks and praise to Him for all things.

If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, this Thanksgiving can be the beginning of a new way of life. That is my prayer for us all.

More from the Series

Read more in the Gratitude That Endures: Cultivating Thankful Hearts in Christ series and visit Servants of Grace on YouTube.