“Thanksgiving—the giving of thanks—to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ. We must not allow a spirit of ingratitude to harden our heart and chill our relationship with God and with others.

“Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness. – Billy Graham

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer

I love the month of Thanksgiving. The entire holiday is centered on the preparations necessary to enjoy the fellowship around a bountiful table. God tells us to BE thankful. So, it is a CHOICE. BE thankful. When we CHOOSE thankfulness, the world becomes brighter with more hope and purpose. Gratitude is powerful. After practicing the CHOICE of gratitude for awhile, it begins to become automatic and you later begin to actually FEEL gratitude. All God’s commands are that way. Do what He says, whether we FEEL like it or not…and blessing follows. ALWAYS!

Here’s a few verses where God gives the admonition to be grateful and to express that gratitude. Let’s ponder together the richness of giving of thanks to God, in all things, and to people, for whatever reason we can think of. We are blessed to BE a blessing! Here you go…you can just start with these verses now and I have a feeling by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, this could be your best Thanksgiving holiday ever.

Suggestions:

• Write them on 3×5 cards and carry them with you
• Or post them around your home or car dashboard.
• Or underline your favorite ones in your Bible.
• Or journal about the ones that speak to your heart.
• Talk to God about why the verse speaks to you personally.

Scriptures about Gratitude for you to Ponder:

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Psalm 95:2-3 “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.”

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Psalm 106:1 “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Psalm 9:1 “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

I Corinthians 1:4-5 “I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge.”

2 Corinthians 4:15 “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.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “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 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

I Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Colossians 3:16 “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the Name of the Lord Most High.”

Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name.”

I Chronicles 29:13 “Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious Name.”

I Timothy 4:4-5 “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer.”

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

2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

Billy Graham shared: “In many countries a special day is set aside each year for thanksgiving. But for the Christian every day can be a day of thanksgiving, as we are “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).“Do you know the joy of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ? If you’ll turn to God, He can take away your bitterness and give you the spirit of true thankfulness.”

Thank you for all you do. Until next time…

God bless you bunches!
Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!
Awaiting His shout,


The MomCourager™