Deut 16:13-17

God always gives us grace. God commanded that the Israelites, who were slaves for 430 years, should give thanks to Him, for He brought them out of Egypt. So the Israelites gave thanks to Him with all their strength according to His word. Our thanksgiving is to God who saves us from sins, curses, diseases, Satan and evil spirits. We should give thanks to Him with a much higher level of thanksgiving.

After celebrating the Passover with thank offerings, the Israelites celebrated the Feast of Ingathering "Thanksgiving Day". They gave thanks for the grace that God had given, and for the grace that was still to be given, in advance.

God gave us all things for our natural lives, including His only Son Jesus Christ, who is also eternal life. When Jesus came up out of the water after being baptized in the Jordan, God was so delighted and said, "This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased (Matt 3:17). But what was Jesus’ life like? Wasn't it a life filled with curses and pain?

He was wounded, spat upon, clothed in a scarlet robe and had a crown of thorns placed on His head. After all that, He was sentenced to death in the inner court of Caiaphas: He took up the Cross to the place of the skull in order to die a brutal death for us. Paradoxically, the suffering of God's one and only Son turned into His joy. But, what is this joy? This is the great joy of our salvation for the forgiveness of sin. It pleased God to let His Son die and be cursed for us.

How can we forget this amazing grace? Those who have known and experienced this amazing love, can not help but give amazing thanksgiving from the bottom of our hearts, to God our Father. Thanksgiving is the highest expression that we can present to God who has given us this grace. If you don't give thanks to God, it is most ungrateful. Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died to set us free from Satan and evil spirits.

Thanksgiving Day is the day when we give thanks to God for the harvest. We shouldn't appear before God empty-handed (Deut 16:14-17). It is God's desire that we truly know the grace that He has given us. When Abraham gave a thanksgiving offering with the best of his possessions, even his children's children, that were still in his body, were blessed (Heb 7:4-6).

The Bible says “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Deut 5:9-10) “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement…” (Heb 9:27).

If you bow down to the dead, that is idolatry. The nation who worships idols will be ruined. We celebrate this day with the finest thanksgiving to be blessed to a thousand generations. Who is the most blessed person? The one who gives thanks to God with all his heart and soul. Let us celebrate this Thanksgiving Day as the best one.