On Thanksgiving Day, we are encouraged to pause and give thanks to God. In his Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln wrote, “The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.”
Giving thanks, as President Lincoln points out, brings to mind God’s gifts to us and reminds us of God’s gracious nature. We cultivate a sense of thankfulness, first and foremost, by cultivating a sense of gratitude toward God, the giver of all good gifts. When we learn in all things to “give thanks to God and praise his name (Psalm 100:4),” we will find that gratitude, for blessings big and small, will follow us throughout our lives.
May you find many blessings this Thanksgiving.