Thanksgiving is a time to remember and reflect upon the goodness of God and the blessings we have received over this past year. No matter what we have experienced in 2024, if we pause to ponder and seek the Lord, we will have an awareness of his abiding love and how he has blessed us with his supernatural goodness in abundant ways. Let’s not forget the internal harvest we have gathered from character-building events this past year alone. Life with God promises to produce good things in our souls [mind/will/emotions] even when this temporal world dishes out tremendous challenges. According to the Word, until Christ returns, believers will experience opposition to their faith. Yet, even then it proves Truth to the world—God with us.
Gratitude should fill our hearts everyday, because we have breath that fills our lungs with life and we have hope that fills our hearts—all of which come from God. We can know and enjoy God, because of Jesus and his work of salvation and redemption. Even as I am typing this devotion, I have a sense of God’s good and guiding Presence within me.
In our passage today, David knows the Source of all goodness. He prays and sings from a heart filled with gratitude for the unfailing love of God to cover and forgive his failures and guide his life in a better direction. For David, the goodness of God is portioned out as the Lord becomes the perfect Director, Teacher, Savior, Friend, and Forgiver who abundantly imparts compassion and mercy to his children. God does not wait for us to perform perfectly; he simply longs for us to respond to the goodness he offers. As we grow, we know how to express genuine gratitude for what we have received—we live in ways that please the Father.
So, I pray you will express Thanksgiving, today, for the goodness of the Lord as you remember this past year. May gratitude rise up in you—whether you are gathering with family, friends, neighbors or enjoying some quiet solitude—to help you realize when our hearts are right before God and our spirits are in sync with Him and one another, our gratitude presents as a sweet smelling aroma before the throne of grace! Let’s give thanks to the Lord of lords and the King of kings! Happy Thanksgiving as you express your gratitude through ongoing acts of Thanks-Living. Love to you all!
Psalm 25:4-10
4
Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
5
Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
6
Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
7
Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.
8
The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9
He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
10
The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the forgiveness of sin, the privilege of eternal life with you, the ongoing work of salvation to transform us, the love of family and/or friends, the harvest of your character in our souls, and the abundance and provision of grace you bring into our lives on a daily basis. We are blessed by you, Lord and we want to thank you from the bottom of our redeemed hearts! You are so Good. May we pause to give thanks today, because the ways you have loved us and the blessings you have bestowed are too numerous to count. Holy Spirit, help us to express and reveal our gratitude by helping us with our thanksgiving and thanks-living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.