Happy Thanksgiving!

Several years ago, I received an email from a wise man. He said, “I hope your Thanksgiving Day is so good for your soul!”

We talk about being thankful on Thanksgiving, but we rarely turn it inward. How being thankful and having a heart of gratitude affects us spiritually.

I wonder if King David knew this secret. He must have because He wrote many verses of Scripture that lead us to believe that being thankful is important for our souls. Let’s look at some of them.

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12 – NIV)

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:30 – NIV)

“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High.” (Psalm 92:1 – NIV)

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4 – NIV)

“Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1-5 – NIV)

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name’ make known among the nations what he has done.” (Psalm 105:1 – NIV)

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1 – NIV)

I believe David knew how being thankful was good for his soul. What do we learn from David? How to be grateful. To whom we should be thankful. How to be thankful. And that we should share with others why we are thankful.

So today as you gather with family or friends, I pray that you will take the time to search your soul and see how it is doing. If something seems a little off, perhaps you might consider that your thankfulness hasn’t quite reached your heart and that it hasn’t affected your soul.

But I pray that you, like me will be able to say “Thanksgiving is good for my soul!” I pray that you’ll be able to say, “My heart is glad.” (Psalm 16:9a – NIV)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna