Both America and Canada celebrate a day of Thanksgiving each year in the fall, with America's occurring on the last Thursday of November and Canada's on the second Monday of October. Sometimes, Canada's Thanksgiving Day coincides with the Feast of Tabernacles' Eighth Day, sharing incredible similarities. It is proclaimed as a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed. God's people can celebrate this day if kept in the proper spirit. For most, however, Thanksgiving Days have lost their original meaning, becoming mere excuses for reveling and getting. God takes a serious view of ingratitude, as seen when Jesus expresses dismay after healing ten lepers, with only one returning to thank Him. Ingratitude and selfishness harm us individually and collectively. We should give thanks to God because it is good for us to do so, and though He does not need our thanks, He is glad when His children offer them. We should acknowledge and thank God for His lovingkindness and faithfulness, for endowing us with so much. We must constantly think about His blessings and not take them for granted. We should thank God for giving gladness and a sense of triumph to those active in His work, as every member of His church has such an opportunity. God's works and thoughts are worthy of our gratitude, with His creation marvelous in its beauty, detail, and usefulness. We should be grateful that He is the Most High, the great and sovereign God, and that He will one day exalt His people from the weak and simple to glory. We should thank Him for His justice on enemies, recognizing that His punishments are for our good. God gives spiritual and physical health and growth to His people according to His will, wisdom, and mercy, which is something to rejoice and give thanks for. We should be grateful for being planted in His church, where we can grow abundantly in preparation for a future time of working and ruling with Him forever. Even seniors in His church are generally in good health, still active in His work and bearing fruit, thanks to living His way of life and receiving His blessings. We are to be thankful to God because He is totally dependable, upright, solid, and righteous.

Thanksgiving was originally established to give thanks to the Almighty God for His benevolent care and providence to men, but it has become commercialized to garner the most year-end profits. In the hustle and bustle of today's extreme lifestyles and moral decline, the giving of thanks is a rare thing. Shoppers on Thanksgiving Day focus on acquiring coveted items at the best prices, with little thought of thanking God for His benefits throughout the year or even for the ability to purchase material goods. God gives benefits to all humanity, and He desires us to thank Him for His blessings, mercy, and graciousness. Each of us should be extremely thankful to God for His benefits, testing, and training, responding to Him in humbleness of mind and thankfulness of heart. Despite enjoying more benefits, prosperity, and natural resources than much of the world, many remain complainers, unthankful for what God has bestowed so freely. We must not fall into this end-time mindset of ingratitude but instead be humble, respect God, and thank Him for His daily providence. Giving Him daily thanks shows our love for Him, and we must never slack off in this practice, especially as the world spirals down morally and ethically. God has given us many amazing benefits, and we should be very thankful, responding to His call daily.

Some have questioned whether Christians should keep Thanksgiving due to concerns about its origins in paganism, suggesting that members of God's church should not observe it. True, pagan peoples in the past gave thanks to their gods for crops and herds, ascribing powers to their deities that belong to the true God. However, should we refrain from being thankful for all that the great God has provided us simply because pagans were thankful to idols? Should we not show gratitude for our liberties and the seemingly limitless bounty we have? If we fail to give thanks, what will that produce? Many prophecies indicate that modern nations of Israel will suffer greatly for their lack of gratitude for all that God has given them, facing deprivation and destruction partly due to forgetting God. The Thanksgiving Day we celebrate does not stem from pagan origins, unlike other holidays. Our forefathers and some presidents, guided by God's Word, set aside a day each year to thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed on our people, which is good and right for any nation. For those who understand the source of all blessings, this day should be a reminder to give effusive thanks for the many blessings we receive due to God's faithfulness to His promises to Abraham. It should also remind each of us to thank Him every day, not just annually, for our incredible calling and the innumerable things He does for us.

Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, and this once-noble occasion has suffered the effects of social decay. Thanksgiving has devolved from a feast day of solemn gratitude to God for His beneficence and blessing into a modern Turkey Day. Reflection on God's providence and thankfulness for His bounty to us, our land, and our government have degraded to gluttony, football games, and planning strategies for the next day's Christmas shopping. In many minds, Thanksgiving has become merely the opening day of the Christmas season. Nearly a third of working Americans will punch a time clock on this day, as commercialization prevents the nation from closing stores and services even for one day. This raises the question: if Americans will not take the time to reflect on their blessings and express gratitude on the one day officially called Thanksgiving, do they ever consider what they have and give thanks for it? A Christian is warned never to allow decay in our gratitude toward God. Giving thanks is edifying and beneficial because it recognizes the truth of our lives and reestablishes proper perspective in our relationship with Him. It also paves the way for creating peace in our hearts.

In this season, millions of Americans focus on Thanksgiving Day, often called Turkey Day, with its traditional turkey dinner, sumptuous side dishes, pumpkin pie, and football games. Some genuinely consider their circumstances and America's global position, seeking true reasons to be thankful. The first American Thanksgiving occurred in 1621 at Plymouth Colony, where, after a harsh first winter of scarcity and loss, the Pilgrims expressed deep thankfulness to God for His help, guidance, and the progress granted to the colony following a good harvest. In 1789, George Washington, the first President of the United States, issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation acknowledging God's gifts to humanity. The Bible provides clear guidance on what we should be thankful for, highlighting salvation and eternal life as the most precious gifts, for which we can thank God daily as He has called us to them. Additionally, God grants us the ability to understand His truth, another great reason for thankfulness.

With the overwhelming distractions of holiday promotions and entertainment, the U.S. national holiday of Thanksgiving, which occurred on Thursday, often goes unnoticed or is merely given a cursory glance in the rush to the next holiday. It is disheartening that a day dedicated to thanking the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the Universe is either over-hyped for secular reasons or largely ignored. The prevalence of unthankfulness, ungratefulness, and lack of appreciation among many is a significant concern. A thankless attitude reveals a core character flaw of self-absorption, evident in those who only superficially observe Thanksgiving. This holiday, however, stands as a tradition promoting wholesome values, starting with gratitude to God for abundant blessings and providing an opportunity to serve others.

Thanksgiving Day, often regarded as a quintessentially American holiday, carries a complex history with roots in various traditions across different cultures. While it holds a significant place in American heritage, the attitude with which many observe it has often degenerated into a mere parody of genuine thanksgiving. The celebration, tied to the Pilgrims' feast in 1621, was not unique to America, as similar harvest festivals existed in ancient Rome, Greece, Canaan, and even in biblical Israel with the Feast of Tabernacles. Despite some traditions having pagan origins, harvest festivals are not inherently anti-God, as God Himself commands the observance of Pentecost and Tabernacles, both tied to the harvest. The essence of giving thanks is a fundamental aspect of Christian life, as emphasized in the call to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in every circumstance, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. Thanksgiving should not fluctuate with circumstances or feelings but should be a constant recognition of God's blessings and watchful care. Without thoughtful meditation and prayer to review one's material well-being, the observance risks becoming a self-indulgent feast rather than a meaningful act of gratitude toward God. True worship of God involves a heartfelt and cheerful acknowledgment of favors bestowed, requiring conscious thought about circumstances that inspire a sense of obligation. Ingratitude, marked by a failure to remember the good God has done, is a prevalent issue, and reversing this requires daily practice of relating blessings to Him. Thanksgiving arises from gratitude and leads to praise, a joyous expression of thoughtful gratitude for God's works, purpose, and nature. This process demands daily mental exercise directed toward God, ensuring that gratitude and praise are not absent when the national holiday arrives. Though Thanksgiving in America often lacks true honor toward God, becoming a hollow shell of its potential, there is no reason it cannot be observed in its best-intended spirit. As children of God, we can make it a true thanksgiving to Him, enhanced by sharing a fine meal with family and friends, while keeping the God of creation, our Savior, Provider, and Healer ever in our minds. Thus, we can properly relate and give thanks for all things.

Psalms of Thanksgiving consists of a rich biblical genre, expressing gratitude not merely through words, but through praise, action, and covenantal loyalty to God. The psalter has a five-book seasonal structure with various festival connections explaining how the genres overlap to meet the full range of human experience. Thanksgiving Psalms such as Psalms 18, 30, 32, 40, 66, 107, 116, and 138—celebrate God's deliverance by acknowledging His interventions and responding with committed acts of worship, like Hannah's dedication of Samuel. Psalm 18 serves as a primary example portraying David's life.