Giving thanks for what?

Many years ago a seminary professor recounted the story of his first Thanksgiving sermon in his first pastorate. Thrilled and excited over God’s grace in his life, he structured his sermon around the theme of gratitude for wives, children, job, financial provision, and general happiness. As the congregation filed out, a woman whose husband had […]

Now thank we all our God

It seems an odd response, but on the week of Thanksgiving, some search vainly for reasons for expressing gratitude. Some are generally just discontent. They have fed the monster of covetousness and greed to the point that they are rarely happy and rarely content and thankful. And on the occasions that they are thankful, it […]

True gratitude

One last thought about Thanksgiving. John Piper helps define what real gratitude and thankfulness looks like: Gratitude that is pleasing to God is not first a delight in the benefits that God gives (though that will be part of it). True gratitude must be rooted in something else that comes first — namely, a delight […]

Thanksgiving thinking, Part 5

The turkey that cooks were desperately trying to thaw yesterday morning are now carved into multiple pieces, chilling again in the frozen climes of the freezer, awaiting transformation into multiple manifestations of last-minute leftovers on another day. Aluminum wrapped packages line the doors and shelves of refrigerators. It’s enough to make a cook wonder, at […]

Thanksgiving thinking, Part 4

There may already be movement in your kitchen in preparation for the feast to come later today. In our home, the first thing produced in the kitchen today will be the last thing eaten — the desserts. I like to think of it as happy bookends on a fine day of eating. As you begin […]

Thanksgiving thinking, Part 3

You know the verse. It’s short, concise, and direct. In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:18) Give thanks? Sure. We’ll give thanks when a job is provided. We’ll give thanks when a baby is born. And when a gift is received. And when verbal encouragement […]

Thanksgiving Thinking, Part 2

The handwriting was on the wall. God had spoken. And it wasn’t good news for the king and his minions. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. God has numbered the days of the kingdom, the king has been evaluated and found deficient, and the kingdom would be given to another empire. That night. What was the great […]

Thanksgiving Thinking, part 1

In order to stimulate my own heart towards biblical gratitude this week, I pulled some files last week to remind myself of what Scripture and others have said about thankfulness. Might these next few days be ones in which you and I are genuinely giving thanks to the Lord for all that He is and […]

John Piper is thankful (and so am I)

John Piper has written much about thanksgiving and Desiring God has put together some of his thoughts. If you need more stimulants to gratitude, you might try “Some Thanksgiving Reading.” A number of thoughts on gratitude from this blog can be found at “Gratitude.”

Thanksgiving is for everyday

The leftovers sit in the refrigerator, the football feast is over, and maybe even some of the Christmas shopping is ended. But thanksgiving isn’t over. Thanksgiving isn’t for a day; it’s for everyday. Yesterday morning I read Habakkuk again — and was reminded why gratitude is important. Though the fig tree should not blossom And […]

Thanksgiving is over…

Linus sat at the table, pen in hand, writing. His first attempt ended up crumpled on the floor. And so did his second. And third. And fourth. Finally, in frustration, he muttered, “Rats! It’s hard to write a thank you note for a Christmas toy that’s already broken.” You know the feeling, don’t you? I […]

Today’s Quote – Thanksgiving (Chesterton)

G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England: I do not, in my personal capacity, believe that a baby gets his best physical food by sucking his thumb; nor that a man gets his best moral food by sucking his soul, and denying its dependence on God or other good things. I would maintain that […]

Can an atheist give thanks tomorrow?

Thanksgiving is a deeply theological act, rightly understood. As a matter of fact, thankfulness is a theology in microcosm — a key to understanding what we really believe about God, ourselves, and the world we experience. A haunting question is this: How do atheists observe Thanksgiving? I can easily understand that an atheist or agnostic […]

In everything give thanks

A young boy was asked by his father to say grace at dinner. While the rest of the family waited, he slowly looked over every dish of food on the table. After his examination, he bowed his head and honestly prayed, “Lord, I don’t like the looks of it, but I thank you for it, […]