“It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks”

If you’re like most Americans, your Thanksgiving meal today will include oven-roasted turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin or pecan pie. In previous generations, however, your table would have been laden with devilled turkey, oysters, boiled chestnuts, sweet potato balls, green bean pudding, vinegar pie, and cranberry wine.

While I’m partial to oysters, I’ll otherwise take our menu over theirs. At the same time, I’m not sure all progress is worthy of the name.

• Dining rooms are disappearing, in large part due to the pandemic when such areas became classrooms, offices, and gyms. Since I’m terrible at balancing a plate on my knees, I’m glad our dining table is still available today.
• More than half of those surveyed said they plan to eat out at a restaurant for their main holiday meal; 82 percent of those choosing to dine out do so to reduce the stress of preparing the meal. Since Janet does the cooking at our house (for culinary reasons and to protect the lives of our guests), I can’t speak to the latter fact. But I’m glad our family will have time together undistracted by a crowded restaurant.
• More than a third of Americans will watch football today. While this sport-spectating tradition dates back to 1876, the game is more popular around the world than ever. I’m a lifelong football fan, but I’m glad Janet will make us pause the game for the family meal (especially if the Cowboys are losing).

Here’s another way I hope we’ll go back to our past: while Thanksgiving these days is all about food, football, and frenzied shopping, its antecedents were anything but.

“A profound and heartfelt gratitude to God”

Billy Graham writes:

The Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth to settle in what became the United States of America can teach us an important lesson about giving thanks.

During that first long winter, seven times as many graves were made for the dead as homes were made for the living. Seed, imported from England, failed to grow, and a ship that was to bring food and relief brought instead thirty-five more mouths to feed but no provisions. Some Pilgrims caught fish, and others hunted wildfowl and deer. They had a little English flour and some Indian corn.

Yet William Brewster, rising from a scanty dinner of clams and water, gave thanks to God “for the abundance of the sea and the treasure hid in the sand.”

According to today’s standards, the Pilgrims had almost nothing, but they possessed a profound and heartfelt gratitude to God for his love and mercy.

Their example reminds us that thanksgiving depends not on what we have but on being grateful for what we have. Not only are we called to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, my emphasis); we are also told to “give thanks for everything to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:20 NLT, my emphasis).

How can we be grateful “for everything”?

“When I fall, I shall rise”

On Monday, we focused on what Jesus did for us in the past by purchasing our salvation. In response to his sacrifice, we are called to “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise” to God (Hebrews 13:15).

On Tuesday, we explored what Jesus is doing for us in the present as he prays for us, heals us, guides us, and meets our needs by his grace. When we remember such provision, we are moved to present-tense gratitude even in the hardest places of life:

• “The Lᴏʀᴅ is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer … I call upon the Lᴏʀᴅ, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:2–3).
• “The Lᴏʀᴅ is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lᴏʀᴅ is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” (Psalm 27:1 NLT).
• “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3–4).

Yesterday, we considered what Jesus will do for us in the future. He will take us to be with him in heaven one day (John 14:3); in the meantime, he will lead us into his “perfect” will (Romans 12:2) and redeem all he allows for his glory and our good (Romans 8:28).

We can therefore say with the prophet: “When I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lᴏʀᴅ will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8). And we can pray with Henri Nouwen:

Even when it seems that things are not going my way, I know that they are going your way and that in the end your way is the best way for me. O Lord, strengthen my hope, especially when my many wishes are not fulfilled. Let me never forget that your name is Love.

“Thanksgiving is what you do”

Across this Thanksgiving week, I’ve been thinking about Tim Keller’s observation:

“It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.”

For all Christ has done, for all he is doing, and for all he will do, what will you “do” in response today?

NOTE: On this Thanksgiving Day, I want to express my gratitude to all who read the Daily Article and to all who partner with us financially to make our ministry possible. It is a wonderful privilege to share this calling with you each day. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3).

Thursday news to know:

• A battered and diminished Hezbollah accepts a cease-fire
• Multiple Trump appointees targeted by bomb threats, swatting
• US secures release of 3 Americans in prisoner swap with China
• Northern lights may be faintly visible across parts of the US on Thanksgiving
• On this day in 1520: Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Pacific

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.” —Robert Louis Stevenson

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“If we stop to think, we’ll be more thankful”

Which job would you guess is the most satisfying vocation in America? According to a researcher quoted by the Washington Post, Americans want a fulfilling job at “a place that gives them time and respects and encourages and wants them to be good citizens in their community.” As a result, those who work in “community and social services” rank highest for job satisfaction, far above categories that typically pay much higher salaries.

And among those in this top category, religious workers are the most fulfilled.

What is your “happiest place on earth”?

This should be unsurprising since Americans list religious and spiritual activities as the happiest, most meaningful, and least stressful things they do. In fact, they rank these activities some 50 percent higher than “work and work-related activities.” And they list “place of worship” as their “happiest place on earth,” while “your workplace” comes in next to last.

This latest study correlates with a volume of research demonstrating that religiousness and spirituality are consistently linked with positive indicators of well-being. Religious people are reportedly “happier and more satisfied with life than non-religious individuals” and even live longer on average.

This despite significant animosity against Christianity in Europe and the US. Tim Keller observed:

We are entering a new era in which there is not only no social benefit to being Christian, but an actual social cost. In many places, culture is becoming increasingly hostile toward faith, and beliefs in God, truth, sin, and the afterlife are disappearing in more and more people. Now, culture is producing people for whom Christianity is not only offensive, but incomprehensible.

Why are active Christians happier and more fulfilled in a secularized society that increasingly disparages our beliefs and denigrates our witness?

I asked the same question over my many trips to Cuba, where believers face far worse persecution than we encounter in the US, yet the Christians I met there were clearly more joyful than anyone else I encountered. I saw the same visiting with underground church leaders in Beijing and believers in East Malaysia and other Muslim nations.

The answer relates directly to our weeklong Thanksgiving focus on Jesus and points the way to the transcendent joy we all long to experience every day.

A star rotating 716 times per second

Researchers have discovered a neutron star in the Sagittarius constellation that rotates 716 times per second. In related news, astronomers witnessed a two-million-mile-per-hour collision between galaxies. One of the galaxies was traveling eight hundred times faster than a jet fighter. And a team of scientists recently mapped the distribution of nearly six million galaxies across eleven billion years of the universe’s history.

Who knows what lies beyond what they can see?

You and I know the answer: By Christ, “all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16). The prophet said of him, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

Jesus’ incarnational ministry made visible the presence of the One who measures the universe with the palm of his hand (Isaiah 40:12), the Creator who delights in his people (Isaiah 62:4) and redeems us in our darkest days (Isaiah 43:1).

As Phillips Brooks noted, Jesus is truly “the condescension of divinity and the exaltation of humanity.”

“Every kind of thing will be well”

All Americans have cause for gratitude this week, as President Reagan noted so eloquently:

Above all other nations of the world, America has been especially blessed and should give special thanks. We have bountiful harvests, abundant freedoms, and a strong, compassionate people. . . . Today we have more to be thankful for than our pilgrim mothers and fathers who huddled on the edge of the New World that first Thanksgiving Day could ever dream. We should be grateful not only for our blessings, but for the courage and strength of our ancestors which enable us to enjoy the lives we do today.

While Americans are truly blessed, followers of Jesus have far greater cause for gratitude. Not only are we engaged in work that brings the highest degree of satisfaction and purpose available in this world—we have the joy of knowing that “this world is not our permanent home” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT). In fact, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” is the eternal home “God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV).

The fourteenth-century mystic Julian of Norwich was given a “spiritual sight” into our Lord’s love for us:

I saw that he is to us everything which is good and comforting for our help. He is our clothing, for he is that love which wraps and enfolds us, embraces us and guides us, surrounds us with his love, which is so tender that he may never desert us. And so in this sight I saw truly that he is everything which is good.

As a result, she assured us: “All will be well, and every kind of thing will be well.”

“If we stop to think”

I hope today’s reflections encourage you to make time this Thanksgiving week to express genuine gratitude to your Savior. As Billy Graham observed,

“Our English words thank and think come from the same word. If we’ll stop to think, we’ll be more thankful.”

Will you “stop to think” today?

Wednesday news to know:

• Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire takes effect, civilians head back to south Lebanon
• Ukraine says Russian attack sets a new record for the number of drones used
• Walmart becomes latest—and biggest—company to roll back its DEI policies
• Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans
• On this day in 1095: Pope Urban II orders first Crusade

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“I have a Creator who knew all things, even before they were made—even me, his poor little child.” —St. Patrick

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“It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich”

The Israeli ambassador to Washington says a ceasefire agreement to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could come “within days.” Israel’s security cabinet is set to vote today on a proposed deal. The agreement comes after Israel achieved its stated strategic war aims with Hezbollah and will allow hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border to return home over time.

In other headline news, special counsel Jack Smith moved yesterday to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump. His team emphasized that the move did not reflect on the merit of the cases but recognized that Mr. Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him.

Ten-year-old calls 911 for help with math

While these stories are dominating the news today, I’d like to point you to three others that you might otherwise miss:

• A ten-year-old boy in Wisconsin called 911 to say that he needed help with his math homework since his family “wasn’t very good at math.” The dispatcher explained that 911 was not the appropriate number to call for such assistance, but then put out a call to see if a deputy was in the area. Deputy Sheriff Chase Mason came to the rescue, helping to solve the boy’s decimal-related math problem.
• A blind man tripped while getting onto a train in England, so a group of travelers helped him to his seat. Once the man sat down, he realized he was missing a shoe which had slipped between the platform and the train. When he panicked, another rider took off his shoe and gave it to the man.
• A seventy-nine-year-old grandmother broke her leg during a hike in Mount Rainier National Park. A group spotted her and called 911, but was told a search-and-rescue team would take five hours to reach their location. Then US Air Force Airman Troy May appeared on the scene and carried the elderly woman down the mountain on his back.

These stories will not reshape the conflict in the Middle East or become a part of American political history. They did not directly affect anyone except the people who were helped and perhaps their immediate families. But how did you feel when you read them?

The sociologist Peter Berger identified “signals of transcendence,” dimensions of our lives that point to realities that transcend us. Among them, he listed our capacities for order, play, hope, morality, and humor.

What if selfless service is another? What if stories of incarnational compassion point us to the supreme gift and Giver of grace?

“A grinning thief walking the golden streets of heaven”

Yesterday we identified our primary reason for giving thanks to God this week: the salvation purchased by his Son on the cross as he paid our debt, died our death, and rose to bring us eternal life.

However, what Jesus did for us twenty centuries ago was just the beginning. Consider some of the ways he is still serving us today:

• He is “interceding for us” right now (Romans 8:34; cf. Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1).
• He is holding us in his omnipotent hand (John 10:28).
• He is healing by his power and grace (cf. Acts 3:6–7).
• He is guiding us by his “yoke” (Matthew 11:28–30).
• He is empowering us to do “all things” (Philippians 4:13).
• He is continuing his earthly ministry through us, his “body” (1 Corinthians 12:27).
• He is preparing our eternal home (John 14:2–3).
• One day, he will take us there (v. 3).

Max Lucado wrote:

It makes me smile to think there’s a grinning thief walking the golden streets of heaven who knows more about grace than a thousand theologians. No one else would have given the thief on the cross a prayer. But in the end, that is all he had. And in the end, that’s all it took.

Mistaking the reflection for the real

I was walking around a lake near our home the other day and noticed the reflection of the surrounding trees on the surface of the water. The question occurred to me: What if somehow I could see only these reflections and not the trees themselves? Like the prisoners in Plato’s cave analogy who can see only their shadows projected on the wall before them, I would believe that these reflections are the entire reality of what we call “trees.”

My question highlights this fact of human finitude: We do not know what we do not know.

Imagine a world in which we were fully aware of all that Jesus is doing for us right now. Would we “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)? Would we perpetually “offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving” (Psalm 50:14)? Would every day be Thanksgiving Day?

If not, is it because Jesus has changed? Is it because his continued ministry in our lives is any less real or transforming? Or is it because we have taken his mercy and grace for granted? Since we cannot see him visibly at work, do we fail to credit him for all he does for us every day?

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lᴏʀᴅ”

Seeking to live a life of gratitude positions us to see the hand of Jesus in every dimension of our lives. It then empowers us to find his grace at work even in the hard places of our days. In this way, we discover with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

One of the most powerful faith statements in all of Scripture is the declaration of the prophet Habakkuk at the end of the book bearing his name:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lᴏʀᴅ; I will take joy in the God of my salvation (Habakkuk 3:17–18).

As a result, he can testify:

“God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places” (v. 19).

Will you tread on your “high places” today?

Tuesday news to know:

• Trump threatens to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on first day in office
• Judge delays resentencing hearing for Menendez brothers
• Thanksgiving winter storms forecasted across the US—here’s where travel could be disrupted
• Iran’s Khamenei calls for death sentence for Israeli leaders
• On this day in 1922: Archaeologists enter tomb of King Tut

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good; if bad, because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.” —C. S. Lewis

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