Thanksgiving Day thoughts and devotional From the Edges.

Thanksgiving Day – November 27, 2025

Giving Thanks in All Things

Pastor Calvin Cook

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

Thanksgiving Day invites us to pause—whether today is filled with family and laughter or marked by quietness, memories, or unspoken burdens. For many, this day brings joy. For others, it carries reminders of loss, change, or unanswered prayers. Yet into this moment, God speaks: “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

God is not asking us to be thankful for every circumstance, but to be thankful in them. Gratitude in Kingdom living is not denial it is trusting in the unseen and unknown things of God. It is the decision to praise God not because life is perfect, but because God always has and always will be faithful to His people.

Having a heart of Thanksgiving and Gratitude says:

I thank You, Lord, not because I understand everything, but because You hold everything.

I thank You not only when life feels full, but because Your presence fills what feels empty.

I thank You not because every prayer is answered, but because You hear me even in the waiting.

The first Thanksgiving in the new world now known as America followed a season of hardship and loss, yet those believers chose to give thanks. Scripture shows the same pattern: Paul praised in prison, Daniel praised at the fiery furnace, David praised in the wilderness, and saints throughout history praised through persevering through hardship by trusting in the greatness of God. Their thanksgiving was built on Christ steady, enduring, unshakable.

Today, let your gratitude be a prayer room of remembering how God has been your constant through it all, even when you didn’t realize it. Pause and name your thanks before God:

 For God’s steadfast love (Psalm 107:1)

The hope of Christ’s resurrection

The Holy Spirit living within you (Romans 8:11)

The people God has placed in your life.

The promise that He is making all things new (Revelation 21:4)

You may not be thankful for every chapter of this year, but you can be thankful that in every chapter, Jesus was with you.

Let this Thanksgiving be a moment where you stop and say: “Lord, I choose gratitude. I choose trust. I choose to thank You today.”

Prayer: Father, on this Thanksgiving Day, teach me to give thanks in all circumstances. Thank You for Jesus, for Your Spirit, and for the ways You’ve carried me this year. Renew my hope, steady my heart, and let my life reflect continual gratitude to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.