When Americans hear the word Thanksgiving, we think about the day marked on the fourth Thursday in November. We look forward to gathering with family, playing games, watching football on TV, maybe playing some football in the backyard, and consuming huge amounts of tasty food. In the many things that happen on this day, the giving of thanks can get lost.

But what if all those things were stripped away? What if there was no football, no extended family, no televised holiday specials, no special foods? Would you still stop to give thanks? And why is it that we have just one day set aside for giving thanks? Yes, it is an important American holiday—but shouldn’t thanks giving be a part of a believer’s daily walk with the Lord?

Thanksgiving—the holiday—happens because the giving of thanks is what brings satisfaction to our souls.

Thanksgiving—the holiday—happens because the giving of thanks is what brings satisfaction to our souls. We give thanks not so much for the things we receive, but because of the One who provides those things. Psalm 100 reminds us who that One is, what He has done, and why we should thank Him continually.