A Thanksgiving Recipe from Phil Johnson

Give Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving where we take time to be grateful. While this a holiday in the United States, thanksgiving should be something Christians should be exercising all the time. There are many references in the Bible for God's people to give thanks. 

One passage that is most famous is found in 1 Thessalonians 5. The Apostle Paul is concluding his letter to the Thessalonian church where he is giving instructions under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Paul wrote that we are to rejoice always which is easier said than done at times, but we are commanded to always rejoice. God has done so much for us through the finished work of Christ, and we know one day He will return to gather His people, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. We have all the more reason to be joyful.

We are told to never stop praying. Prayer should be a continual act for every Christian. We should pray to God when circumstance happen, when someone asks us to pray on their behalf, or giving thanks to God for what He has done. Prayer isn't just at mealtime or after reading your Bible, but it is at all times. 

This leads us to verse 18 which says we are to give thanks in everything. Yes, everything. Good times, bad times, and times we have no idea what is going on. Why should we give thanks? Everything that happens in your life is by the will of God which means that it is under God's sovereign decree.  

So, as you are about to gobble up that turkey leg followed up by your second slice of pumpkin pie, give glory and honor to the Lord for what He has done. He has you in His hands even when things are falling apart. 

God's People Are To Express Gratitude

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations (Psalm 100:1-5).

Providing seven ways to give thanks, the psalmist exhorts worshipers to be grateful at all times. The most obvious expression of gratitude is singing, which is the joyful expression of love and overflows from a liberated heart (vv. 1–2; Isa. 51:11; Col. 3:13–16). The redeemed also act gratefully when they pursue knowledge of God through his Word and works (Ps. 100:3; Rom. 16:25–27). Knowing God not only humbles dependent creatures, it heartens them to realize that he is willing to make himself known, and ultimately he does so through Jesus Christ, revealing our God as a Father and Good Shepherd (cf. Ps. 100:3, 5; Matt. 6:9; John 10:14). 

The psalmist then commands God’s people to express their gratitude (Ps. 100:2, 4). In Hebrew there is no distinction between serving in church or at work. The same word describes worship in every place (Col. 3:17). All of life in every realm is an opportunity to “give thanks to him” and “bless his name” (Ps. 100:4). 

The Father also provides reasons for his commands. The most obvious is that he is good in all his roles. He is the good Creator who endowed us with his image, which requires treating every person with dignity (v. 3; James 3:9). His universal rule reminds us of his protection (Ex. 6:7; Isa. 3:15), calls us to bold prayer (Isa. 64:9; John 17:6–9), and motivates us to discipleship as those purchased at a great price (Titus 2:14). That purchase was made out of the “steadfast love” that epitomizes God’s character and which finds full expression in the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep all the days of their lives (Ps. 100:5; 23:6; John 10:11; Rev. 7:17).

Adapted from the ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible

What Am I Thankful For?

One of my holidays is this week, Thanksgiving. A time we come together with friends and family to be thankful. I love it because we get to eat and watch football.

As the holiday approaches, the question we should ask ourselves is what are we thankful for. It is good for us to reflect on all the things that God has allowed to happen in our lives no matter how confusing it may be at times. So without going into great detail, I would like to express a few things that I am thankful for:

I am thankful for the salvation we have in Christ and nothing can take that away from us.

I am thankful for the family I have that loves and is able to put up with me.

I am thankful for the Word of God that constantly reminds me that though I am a sinner saved by grace, I have a Savior that is my Advocate before the Father.

I am thankful for the good health God has given me.

I am thankful for the Lord continuing to take care of us that even blows my mind.

I am thankful for the church family that I continue to grow to love everyday.

I am thankful for men of God and ministries that refuse to bow the knee to the culture.

I can go on and on, but the point is we all have something or someone to be thankful about. So as you begin that second plate of food before Turkey coma hits, remember to be thankful to our Heavenly Father where we get all the blessings in this life from and even in the life to come.

Happy Thanksgiving.

A Few Thanksgiving Verses

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:30).

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! (Psalm 95:2)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4)

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! (Psalm 147:7)

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4).

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2).

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4–5).

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Give Thanks To The Lord, His Love Endures Forever

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever...

It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26

Are We To Give Thanks To The Lord?

As Thanksgiving approaches, one question that is always asked is, "What are we thankful for?" We give thanks for our family, friends, good health, kids are doing good in school, etc. A lot of times, God seems to be left our of the equation when it comes to giving God thanks.

Are we to give thanks to the Lord? The answer to that question is yes. Here are a few verses that command us to give thanks to God:

Oh Give Thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! (1 Chronicles 16:8)

Give Thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! (Psalm 33:2)

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and Give Thanks to his holy name! (Psalm 97:12)

Enter his gates with Thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give Thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4)

Oh Give Thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 107:1)

As you celebrate Thanksgiving, remember to give thanks to the Lord for all He has done.

A Prayer For Thanksgiving Day

Scotty Smith:

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Cor. 9:15

“… the boundless riches of Christ…” Eph. 3:8

Dear heavenly Father, of all the many things for which we’re grateful today, none surpasses the “indescribable gift” of the gospel. You loved us so much you sent Jesus into the world to be our Savior—not principally as our moral model to imitate, but as our perfect Substitute to receive and trust.

We proclaim with the deepest humility and the greatest joy, “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” From beginning to end, our relationship with you, today and forever, is entirely a gift of your sovereign and immeasurable grace. What we could never do for ourselves, Jesus has accomplished for us, once and for all. Hallelujah, many times over!

We needed forgiveness for all the ways we failed (and continue to fail) to love, worship, and obey you, as you deserve and as your law decrees. And through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, you have forgiven us completely. We will never be more forgiven than we are today… never! All of our sins—past, present, and future, are completely forgiven—not just the small percentage we’re aware of, but also the vast majority of which we remain clueless. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We also needed righteousness—a perfect righteousness. All of our best efforts and good works, our hottest tears of repentance and our most sacrificial acts of obedience, our commitment to do more and try harder, and our resolve to sin less and be more godly availed us nothing.

But before he died in our place on the cross as the Lamb of God, Jesus lived in our place as the second Adam—offering you his life of perfect obedience to you on our behalf. And now, through the gift of faith you’ve freely given us, to believe in Jesus and to trust him, you have declared us to be righteous in Christ. Every sinful thing we have ever done (or will do) was nailed to his Jesus’ cross, and every righteous thing Jesus accomplished in life, is now considered to be something we did! Hallelujah, many times over!

What a glorious exchange—Jesus got our sin and we got his righteousness. What a glorious gospel we have. What a glorious God you are. What a magnificent Thanksgiving Day this is. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus wonderful and merciful name.

Seasons of Thanks

Thanksgiving is upon us and it is one of my favorite holidays. I love waking up and watching the parades (I mostly watch it for the floats and balloons) followed by getting together with family then possibly watching some football. Thanksgiving is also a time to reflect on the past year and be thankful.

For Christians, Thanksgiving should not be dedicated to one time a year where we have turkey and pumpkin pie, but it should all year long. The Christian life should not be a season of thanks, but seasons of thanks. In the Bible, there are number of verses that tell us to give thanks to the Lord for what He has done. We are also to give thanks to God for the body of Christ for the work of ministry they have done for the glory of God.

Seasons of thanks are not just reserved for when times are good, but when times are difficult. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to give thanks in all circumstances (good and bad) for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. God is good even when life is hard and that is why we can give thanks to Him in all circumstances in every season of life.

Recommend Reading:

Thanksgiving 24/7

Christians Are To Give Thanks

Is Not Thanking God A Sin?

Thanksgiving Is A Discipline

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Are You Thankful For Your Salvation?

We can be thankful for a lot of things. The jobs we have, the church we attend, our families, our friends, and even the food we are about to eat. There is one thing Christians need to be consistently thankful for is their salvation.

Think about it. God saved a sinner who deserves His wrath yet has received mercy through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Jesus did not deserve to die on the cross in our place for our sins yet He willingly took the chastisement that brought us peace with God.

Our salvation was freely paid for by Jesus Christ. Our response should be thankfulness. A few years ago, my wife and I were having lunch as we were celebrating our anniversary. Our pastor came in, about 20 minutes later, and greeted us. After a few friendly greetings, we told him we were celebrating our anniversary then the waiter brought the check. Without hesitation, our pastor picked up our check and said lunch was on him. We were not in need nor were we implying anything, he felt like giving us a gift.

That gift from our pastor, was something we did not deserve. He could have said, "Happy Anniversary," and that would have been enough. Instead, in an act of kindness, paid for our lunch. Our Savior did something we did not deserve because He knew all of our works and accomplishments would not be enough. As we continue to live on this earth let us remember what Paul wrote to the Colossian church:

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7).

As we abide in Christ, we are to grow in our fellowship with Him while be filled with thanksgiving knowing this fellowship is not possible without the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Is Not Thanking God A Sin?

We have discussed how the Bible is full of commands to give thanks to the Lord for all that He has done. Now the question comes to mind: is not thanking God a sin? If we remember from a previous post that there over 60 commands in the Bible to give thanks to God. So we can say that not thanking God is a sin.

In Romans chapter 1, the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:18-21).

A study note from ESV Study Bible on Romans 1:21 says:

The root sin is the failure to value God above all things, so that he is not honored and praised as he should be. Human beings are foolish, not in the sense that they are intellectually deficient but in their rejection of God’s lordship over their lives. They knew God not in a saving sense, but they knew of his existence and his attributes.

Albert Mohler wrote:

Clearly, honoring God as God leads us naturally into thankfulness. To honor Him as God is to honor His limitless love, His benevolence and care, His provision and uncountable gifts. To fail in thankfulness is to fail to honor God — and this is the biblical description of fallen and sinful humanity. We are a thankless lot.

Sinners saved by the grace and mercy of God know a thankfulness that exceeds any merely human thankfulness. How do we express thankfulness for the provision the Father has made for us in Christ, the riches that are made ours in Him, and the unspeakable gift of the surpassing grace of God? As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” [2 Corinthians 9:15]...It is humbling to see that Paul so explicitly links a lack of thankfulness to sin, foolishness, and idolatry. A lack of proper thankfulness to God is a clear sign of a basic godlessness. Millions of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving with little consciousness of this truth. Their impulse to express gratitude is a sign of their spiritual need that can be met only in Christ.

Thanksgiving is not reserved for one day out the year where we eat turkey and watch football. Christians should always be giving thanks to God for His blessings on us. To not do so, would a slap in His face because everything in this world belongs to Him.

Christians Are To Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is not just a day we celebrate to remember what we are thankful for with our friends and family. Thanksgiving for Christians is the expression of gratitude in our hearts to God the Father for what He has given us. There are 62 verses in the ESV of the Bible that have the phrase "give thanks" in them. Here are just a few of them:

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! (1 Chronicles 16:8)

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds (Psalm 9:1)

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever (Psalm 86:12)

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you (Psalm 118:28)

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:4)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

I think you get the picture that the Bible wants us to give thanks to God. There are many things that God has done in our lives that we should always express our gratitude. From the simple things, having air to breathe, to the most important, having a job to provide for your family.

Our God is a good God and He has given us more blessings than we can ever imagine. God has also withheld some things from us not because He is mean, but as a means to depend on Him.

When you are gathered with your friends and family this Thanksgiving, take the opportunity what you are truly thankful for. Don't have to go into great detail, but point back to what the Lord has done. This may open the door for you to share the gospel with someone who does not know Christ.

Psalms with Thanksgiving

We are about to celebrate Thanksgiving in our culture where we take time remember what we are thankful for. It is also a time where we can enjoy time with family and friends while gathered around the dinner table for a big feast. For some, it is also a time to enjoy watching football whether it is the NFL or college.

While we set a day aside to give thanks, the Bible says, to give thanks always (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If you take a look in the Psalms there are a few verse that express we should be giving thanks to God or have a heart of thanksgiving unto the Lord.

Psalm 50:14

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

and perform your vows to the Most High,

---

Psalm 50:23

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;

to one who orders his way rightly

I will show the salvation of God!”

---

Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song;

I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

---

Psalm 95:2

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

---

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

---

Psalm 107:22

And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,

and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

---

Psalm 116:17

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of the Lord.

---

Psalm 147:7

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

make melody to our God on the lyre!

---

 

Are You Still Thankful?

Last week, our country celebrate Thanksgiving where we take time to reflect on what we are truly thankful for. For some it is good health while for others it could be just to have time with family. With the holiday already a week behind us and starting the Christmas season, one question comes to mind, are we still thankful?

When was the last time you truly thanked God for the blessings He has given you and I am talking just material. I am talking mercy, grace, and the freedom we have in Christ. Are you still thankful for His goodness even after one week when you did not have to worry about what is going on in your life? In the English Standard Version of the Bible, there is about 96 references to giving God thanks, most in the Old Testament.

The Apostle Paul even told us to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). No matter what we are going through, we should give God all the praise and thanks because it is a chance for us to grow. Remember what James said, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).

Now that the Christmas season is here and things are crazy with kids Christmas performance, office parties, and family gatherings, are we still thankful? After this weekend, when you came back to reality, are you still thankful?

Why Am I Thankful?

Today is a time where we say thanks. So I was thinking about what am I thankful for. So here is my list:

I am thankful for my wonderful wife who has supported me over the years in ministry. She is also awesome in helping me raise our two kids.

I am thankful for my two kids who are growing in grace. They love reading the Bible and sing songs of praise to Him. I am thankful that I got to baptized both of them. In fact, they are the only people I have had the privilege of baptizing. If I go through the rest of my ministry not baptizing anyone else, I am okay with that.

I am thankful for the gospel. The gospel message is the most important message in all the world that I need to remind myself of every single day.

I am thankful for my church, Emmanuel Baptist Church. They are a loving church and has taken a chance on me over three years ago. I went into this church knowing it was going to be hard growing a youth ministry from scratch in a city with churches on almost every corner with bigger budgets.

I am thankful for the many friends I have even the ones on social media. I know that sounds silly. There are a few of them I have e-mailed, text messaged, or even called on the phone.

I am thankful for Jesus who came to fulfill the law in my place, died on the cross in my place, and now intercedes for me at the right hand of the throne of God.

Thank God for the Little Things

Thanksgiving is this week. Praise God. I am looking forward to being with family and eating turkey along with my favorite dessert during this time of year, Pumpkin Pie. This week, people will be thankful for a lot of things such as good health, their job, and spending another Thanksgiving with an elderly loved which that is important.

How many of you ever thank God for the little things in life like the air we breathe? What about when the car starts? How about you get a free book in the mail or is that just me?

I think a lot of times we forget to thank God for the littlest, simple things of life. For example, growing up in Houston, I was never thankful for rain because it did rain a lot. In the past year, my city, Wichita Falls and the surrounding areas, have been in a drought. Our lake levels right now are below 30% which means no one can water their yards unless you have a water well. For the past couple of months when it rained, I thank God for it.

Some times the little things in life should cause us to worship God. The Bible says we are give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). All circumstances means the little stuff. When was the last time you thanked God for enjoying a movie with your family even if the movie was not so great? When was the last time you thanked God for your central Air and Heating Unit? You are probably more thankful when it works after you get it fixed.

Here is my challenge: Take time to thank God for the little things not just the big things in life. Even the little things are a gift from him. What does the Bible say? "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17).

Thanksgiving 24/7

Two weeks from today is Thanksgiving where every seems to not only break their diet they promised they would keep at the beginning of the year, but also a time where people give thanks. They are many reasons people give thanks on this day. Good health, family is safe, job is secured, etc. There is a trend on Facebook, where people take the whole month of November express what they are thankful for.

As Christians, we do not have to wait till Thanksgiving to give thanks to God for the things he has done in our lives. The Bible tells us that we should be thankful all the time. Thanksgiving should be an everyday affair for Christians. Here a just a few verses on giving thanks to God:

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High (Psalm 7:17)

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High (Psalm 9:1-2)

In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever (Psalm 44:8)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name (Psalm 100:4)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6)

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:15-17)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

We do not have to wait for one day out of the year to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving should be a 24/7 event for all Christians.

Thanksgiving Is A Discipline

Thanksgiving is upon us which means we can get that extra plate we have been saving for all year after you made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight. Men are getting ready for two days of non-stop football. People will sacrifice their family time to get in line at retail stores to get that item they saw in the paper they must get for someone they love or themselves.

Thanksgiving is the one time in our country where we take time to reflect on our lives and ask what are we thankful for, but as Christians we need to thankful all the time. The Bible even tells to come into the presence of God with Thanksgiving:

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise (Psalm 95:2)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name (Psalm 100:2)

The Bible tells us as we pray we are to do it with Thanksgiving:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6)

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving(Colossians 4:2)

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

The Bible also tells us that everything God made is good, as mentioned in Genesis 1, and is to be received with thanksgiving:

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

Christians are to be in a constant state of thanksgiving even when everything in our world seems to be falling apart:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Notice it says, "give thanks in all circumstances." This is a hard thing to do when things are tough. For many people today, they do not have a job, their marriage is falling apart, their spouse has a disease, or their children are rebellious. The Bible tells us to come to God with thanksgiving even when times are tough. This is a discipline for Christians to partake of because the gospel gives us reasons why we should be thankful.

First, we are saved by the grace of God through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Second, we have a living hope because Jesus is alive. Third, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us everyday as we live as exiles on this earth. Finally, we know that Jesus will come back and set the world straight and give us grace.

Many of you, including myself, have a long list of reasons to be thankful. Whether it's a new job, you got married, you just had a baby, or God is a great work in your city through your church. I challenge you to take everything you have to be thankful for a give it to God and tell someone about it. In addition, tell someone about a hard time you went through recently and express how grateful you are to God for giving you grace to get through that circumstance.

Thanksgiving is to be celebrated everyday by Christians (not the holiday, but the attitude [I am sure your employers will not like that nor your waistline]). Start now to express your thanksgiving to God. Don't wait till tomorrow.