"…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

It isn't easy to be thankful for everything. That's a fact! In general, we struggle with gratitude. Our parents had to teach us to say thank you. Someone would give us candy, and mom would say, "Say thank you." And how we didn't want to say it! Sometimes, parents had to insist and force us to say those difficult words, "thank you," several times. And it's good if our parents were persistent and we learned to be grateful for the good things they gave us in life.

Our Heavenly Father devoted much time to cultivating a sense of gratitude in His children. For example, He appointed thank offerings. "And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will" (Leviticus 22:29).

He even appointed holidays for His children so they would learn to express their gratitude for all the blessings they receive from the Lord! "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you" (Deuteronomy 16:16-17).  

Our Heavenly Father consistently teaches us to be grateful for all the good in our lives. David appointed the Levites to set an example for the people of how to thank the Lord. "And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel” (1 Chronicles 16:2-4). And the Levites offered thanks every morning and evening: "to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening" (1 Chronicles 23:30).

Thank offerings, God's holidays, and the example of the Levitical ministry - all this was designed so that we would learn to be grateful for the good we receive from the Lord!  

However, a righteous heart, filled with the Holy Spirit, goes further in its gratitude. It is grateful to the Lord for everything! "...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Let us approach the day of Thanksgiving this year with a sincere and grateful heart!

Thankful For All He's Done,

Igor Kurlianov

Igor Kurlianov has 25 years of experience in Christian ministry. He has been involved in church ministry as a preacher, deacon, pastor, and missionary. With a Christian mission, he has visited more than 20 countries, gaining extensive experience in intercultural communication. He has assisted local church leaders in developing missionary work.Igor is fluent in three languages: Russian, English, and Chinese. In 1998, he earned a bachelor's degree in theology from Donetsk Christian University in Ukraine. In 2021, he obtained a master's degree in religious studies from Amur State University in Blagoveshchensk, Russia.Now he has moved to the US with his family and continues to carry out Christian ministry with Reach A Village. Drawing upon his extensive experience in cross-cultural ministry, he is currently actively involved in creating teaching materials on establishing new churches for missionaries from various countries.