The holiday season is officially upon us! With the longer days and warm weather behind us, we now get to look forward to Thanksgiving. This unique American holiday is one of my favorites. It’s an opportunity to gather around with family for a delicious meal. While sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones is part of what makes Thanksgiving great, what sets this holiday apart is that it’s about giving thanks and reflecting on what we are grateful for.
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation establishing Thanksgiving in 1944, American forces were fighting a brutal war to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. In his proclamation, Roosevelt said, “To the end that we may bear more earnest witness to our gratitude to Almighty God, I suggest a nationwide reading of the Holy Scriptures during the period from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas. Let every man of every creed go to his own version of the Scriptures for a renewed and strengthening contact with those eternal truths and majestic principles which have inspired such measure of true greatness as this nation has achieved.”
As Psalm 50:14-15 tells us, “Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving. And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” God reminds us to offer our sacrifices not in material goods, but in our thankfulness for His love and forgiveness. While it’s fitting to reflect on this verse on Thanksgiving, it is something we should keep in mind all of the other 364 days of the year.