So often when we think of Thanksgiving we immediately think of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and two days off work or school.  Our main worries are usually, “will mom make enough stuffing this year,” or “do I have enough room in my kitchen for all the company,” or even, “I hope we have dinner on time this year.”  And so on.

We are guilty of all these things, but what we ought to be thinking about is how we might best thank God on this blessed Thanksgiving Day.

We should give thanks to God in many different ways.  One way we can thank God is by praying.  Lord’s Day 45, Q, & A. 116 reads, “Q. Why is prayer necessary for Christians?  A. Because it is the chief part of thankfulness which God requires of us.”  God also tells us in I Thess. 5:17, 18, “Pray without ceasing.  In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  Prayer is something very important in every Christian’s life—because God is very important.

Another way we can thank God is by singing His most glorious praises.  For God tells us in Psalm 92:1, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High.”  God has many beautiful Psalms in which we can thank Him.  When we sing these Psalms, we must sing them out of gratitude to God.

We can also give thanks to God in our daily walk by letting our light shine forth.  By this I mean everyday talking with a good tongue, getting along with our family and friends, teaching the gospel to others, and so forth.  The Bible tells us in Matt. 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.”

When should we give thanks to God?  We should give thanks unto God every minute of every day, because every moment God gives us something to be thankful for.  Psalm 136:1, “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.”  Just like God’s mercy endureth forever, so should our thankfulness endure forever.

Even in times of sorrow and trouble we should thank God, for the Scriptures read in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

God has given us so many things to be thankful for.  He has given us God-fearing homes, churches, and schools where we may be instructed to hear God’s Word and be taught things concerning our lives.  Another important thing God has given us is our Christian friends.  The friends we choose in our life can be very important to our future.  If we make our friends with the worldly we too may turn away from God as Solomon did by marrying heathen wives.

Last of all, the most important thing God has given us is the love of Christ Jesus, Who was crucified on the cross to make atonement for all our many sins.  God tells us in Eph. 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.”