Well we’ve made it to November. Can you believe this year is almost over?!? I don’t know about you reader, but it flew by for me. And so many things happened this year that I could have never imagined. And so, because Thanksgiving is celebrated in November, I wanted to dedicate this month’s blog posts to thanksgiving to God.

Psalm 100:4-5 tells us, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” 

What exactly is thanksgiving and why should we enter in God’s presence with it?

The dictionary’s definition of thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude. If you think about it, there is definitely more than one way to express gratitude. 

Doing some digging, I tried to find one of the first examples of gratitude from the book of Genesis. 

Genesis 4:1 states, “She [Eve] said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.”

You might be thinking, how is this an expression of gratitude. But I think it is a beautiful example of thanksgiving. You see, Eve acknowledged that it was only with the help of the Lord was she able to conceive a child. 

How good does it feel when you hear that someone you’ve helped contributes their next success to you. They are so grateful you helped them otherwise it might not have turned out as a success. 

One example from my own life that comes to mind is our Church parties for the women’s group. Our group leader always expresses gratitude for my help during these events. And hearing her kind words always makes me feel special. 

Think about all of the times God has helped you in certain situations. It could be something grand like conceiving a child, or as little as helping you find your lost car keys. Do you enter into God’s presence with thanksgiving after he has helped you?

I encourage you to express your gratitude toward God, to give him thanksgiving, immediately after he helps you. 

The God of the universe, the God that created you and the mountains and the rivers and the oceans, he helps you with even the tiniest of details. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.

What are you thanking God for today?