Have you ever wondered what does the Bible say about giving thanks to God? In this Thanksgiving devotional, we’ll open God’s Word to read Psalm 107:1 and discover how to Give Thanks to the Lord during the holiday season and all year round.
During this Thanksgiving holiday, we’ll gather around a table of glorious, delicious food with the people closest to us. And we’ll tell stories about the past and share memories of everything that has happened in our lives this past year.
But it’s equally important to give thanks to the Lord and remember His loving kindness during this special time of year. God is good and He gives us so many good things to be thankful for every day.
Friends and family, a job we love, small victories throughout the day, holding our hand in the hard times, and most of all the new life we have in Jesus. Each of these blessings is a good reason to give thanks to the Lord and praise Him with a grateful heart.
There are many examples of thanksgiving in the Bible. And each one of these Words of God gives us a clear example of how to give thanks.
So, in this devotion, we’ll look at several popular Bible verses about giving thanks and explore what it means in our lives today.
Let’s start with one of my favorite thanksgiving scriptures, Psalm 107:1. This verse always inspires me and fills my heart with gratitude. I pray it will do the same for you too!
What does Psalm 107:1 mean?
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1 New International Version
A few years ago, I was sitting in a lady’s Bible study when a young woman shared something that changed my life.
She recited a quote you’ve probably heard before…
“What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?”
I thought about this quote for several days afterward and decided I needed to start thanking God for everything I have today.
It’s easy for me to dream about tomorrow or get caught up in all of the things I wish I had.
But God is good to me right now and I need to show my gratitude for all He does in my life every day, not just one day a year.
Because a little bit of thankfulness goes a long way.
Imagine if you did everything for someone and they never once said thank you.
It wouldn’t make for a lasting relationship. Over time you would lose interest in helping them and then you’d distance yourself from them too.
Thankfully, God isn’t like this.
And that’s what this verse from Psalm 107:1 is about.
The phrase “his love endures forever” translates to “a loyal love”.
This is the kind of love God has for us. He is always loyal. And because He is, no matter how we act, thankful or not, He always loves us and promises to care for our needs.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give thanks to the Lord for God’s goodness, grace, and everything He does for us every day.
This beautiful sentiment about giving thanks for God’s love is echoed in the Old Testament again.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
1 Chronicles 16:34 ESV
What are we thankful for?
After pondering this quote, I began thanking God each night for the good things He has given me today and all of the things that I don’t want to live without tomorrow.
Here’s a short list of some of the things I give thanks to the Lord for each day. I hope it inspires you to begin thanking God each day for what He has done for you.
#1 Salvation
Where would I be if I didn’t have salvation in Jesus Christ?
I would be lost and condemned. So, salvation is definitely at the top of my list of things I can’t live without. And it’s the one thing I’m most grateful for and so glad I’ll never be without.
As God’s people we share in the victory of Jesus and are forgiven of our sins through His sacrifice on the cross. For true believers, this means that we will never lose our salvation, even if we forget to say thank you for it.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV
#2 My Family
Every day I pray for God to take care of my family. I’m sure you do the same for yours too.
I’ve always mentioned them in my prayers before starting this new gratitude practice. And I asked God to take care of their individual needs.
But now I simply say thank you to God for their presence in my life
This one simple thing has made a big difference in my relationship with my family members. I see them in a different light and recognize how thankful I am for each of them and the unique qualities they bring into my life.
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge
1 Corinthians 1:4-5 ESV
#3 My home, food, car, clothes, etc.
Food, shelter, and water are the necessities of life. And I certainly don’t want to live without any of them.
Especially food! Who wants to go hungry?
With the bounty of the Thanksgiving dinner table, this basic of daily life may be overlooked. But for so many, it’s an everyday struggle. And I’m eternally thankful for God’s provision and the way He satisfies my hungry soul.
For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Psalm 107:9 ESV
#4 My Country
What a privilege it is to live in a country where I am free to worship God! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to live in a nation where I can express my views and practice my religion without fear.
And while there is always a war to be fought or the threat of one rising, we are blessed to live in a safe place in comparison to other countries around the world.
He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
Psalm 106:10 NIV
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
Psalm 107:4-7 NIV
#5 Answered Prayers
Like everyone, I ask God to do certain things for me. And then when He does them, I conveniently forget He has just answered my prayer.
So, I’ve started thanking Him in the moment for each answered prayer and offering praise to His holy name.
But I also want to remember in my nightly prayers, to say thank you again for all He has done throughout the day. Because I am truly grateful that out of His goodness, He has heard my cry for help and cared enough to answer.
Once you begin to see God answer your prayers, you’ll be filled with thanksgiving and peace, and you’ll have a new song to sing to the Lord.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2 NIV
Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 107:8 NKJV
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
Psalm 40:3 NIV
There are other random things that happen throughout the day I give thanks for. But this list represents the things I don’t want to live without the next day and can always give thanks to the Lord for.
Learning to give thanks to the Lord has had a huge impact on my life and my relationship with Jesus. Because of the simple act of saying thank you, my prayer life has grown and my attitude has changed.
How do you give thanks to God?
In answering this question, two scriptures come to mind. In each one, we learn a different, but equally important aspect of how to give thanks to God. Let’s take a look at each one and discover what God has to say to us about giving thanks.
In Everything Give Thanks
in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
As we gather around the Thanksgiving table, we’ll talk about the wonderful things that have happened in our lives over the past year.
And we should be thankful for them because God has done so much for us!
But this verse is about being grateful in all things, not for all things. When he wrote these words the Apostle Paul understood that in both good and bad times God’s plan can turn a difficult circumstance into something good.
In Romans 8:28 we learn that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
God has the power to turn something we see as bad into something amazing. And He causes all things to come together in the end for our good.
This is the hand of God intervening in our lives when we least expect it. With His touch, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, God can bring good into what seems like a terrible situation.
So, if you’ve suffered a loss this past year, remember… in everything give thanks. And know that even in the bad, God’s will in Christ Jesus brings glory and honor to Him. And most of all, have faith that God is working behind the scenes for your good.
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Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart
I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
To truly give thanks to the Lord, it needs to come from the heart. Not just a little bit of our heart, but all of it.
The lyrics of the great song Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart say…
Give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son…
This is the greatest gift we could ever receive. And a heart full of praise for the gift of God’s Son is the greatest gift we can give back to God for this loving sacrifice.
When we tell of this wonderful deed, we are giving thanks with a grateful heart just like the song and this scripture tell us to do.
God’s Hand in Our Gratitude
When we pause to give thanks to the Lord, as Psalm 107:1 reminds us, we’re not just offering words, we’re acknowledging God’s hand at work in our lives. His goodness surrounds us every day, even in ways we can’t see right away. From the simplest blessings like the air we breathe to the incredible ways He provides for us in hard times, His hand is always with us. As we reflect on all He’s done, we can see how God’s hand gently leads us, protects us, and provides for us every step of the way. Giving thanks is our response to His faithful, unchanging goodness!
What are the 3 things you are thankful for this Thanksgiving?
As you can see the Word of God has a lot to say to about giving thanks to the Lord. There’s really no right way or wrong way to praise God and thank Him for everything He does.
So, this November, instead of focusing on what I don’t have, I’ve decided to double down on focusing on what God has blessed me with already.
Because gratitude has changed my way of thinking and my outlook on life, God is good. His love endures forever. Learning to give thanks for His loyal, unfailing love has made me feel closer to God in so many ways.
After reading the list of things I’m thankful for, I’m sure you have some thoughts of your own. And I encourage you to write a list of at least 3 things you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving.
I hope it will help you in some small way to grow your relationship with Jesus.
My prayer for you today is that you will see all the wonderful things God is doing in your life right now, give thanks, and be blessed with a grateful heart.
May God bless you greatly as you give thanks to the Lord!
And if you would like to leave your list of the 3 things you’re thankful for in the comments, I would love to know what God is doing in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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