Why should we be thankful? For what should we be thankful? Whom should we thank? As we move through everyday life, we want to focus on what God’s Word teaches us, and what He says in response to these questions.

Among many reasons to be thankful, we discovered that WHY, WHAT, and WHO show up throughout Scripture. First, WHY? In the Bible we see that God is GOOD. Psalm 106:1, Psalm 118:1, and Ezra 3:11 say that we should thank God because He is good. In the midst of a broken and evil world, the ruler of all sees the bad and uses all things for good. Second, WHAT? The Bible tells us that God’s LOVE for us endures forever. Psalm 107:1, 1 Chronicles 16:34, Jeremiah 33:11 and many others express how God’s love never ceases. Even when we fail, feel unworthy, or think we cannot be good enough, His love for us continues. The Creator of all things loves us! Third, WHO? We see throughout the Bible that God sent JESUS to save us. In 1 Corinthians 15:57, Hebrews 12:28-29, and Psalm 50:23, we are encouraged to give thanks because of the salvation provided to us by God. He sent Jesus to Earth to restore our broken relationship to perfection. Sin made us unworthy, but Jesus saved us. Despite everything, Jesus Christ came to earth. He lived a perfect life, took on the sins of all mankind that separated us from God, paid the penalty of those sins - death, and then rose from the grave. Now those who believe and accept this gift can live with Him forever. Jesus saves us. All we have to do is believe.

Therefore, as we think about the idea of thankfulness, we realize that we have great reasons to give thanks to God. The King of all Kings is good, He loves us, and He came to save us. The Lord loves us enough to pursue a relationship with us so that we may find salvation in Him. He wants to provide us with fullness of joy! Will you thank God for these things with us? What else are you thankful for?

By Elizabeth Keith