Introduction : Thanksgiving glorifies God and brings answers to our prayers. It also makes our hearts positive, joyful, and happy. God commands believers to give thanks in every circumstance. It is not difficult to give thanks when things are going well. Of course, even during those times, many people don´t give thanks. However, it is really hard to give thanks for our loss, distress, and sorrow. During the Rebellion in Yeosu and Sunchun, two high school sons of Pastor Yangwon Son were shot to death by their communist friend. At the funeral service, the tearful pastor gave thanks for two things: first, that their going to heaven was better than going to America where he wanted to send them to study; second, for the opportunity of glory to give his sons as offerings of martyrdom. If we look for things to give thanks for in our lives, we can find a lot, and if we look for things to complain about, we can also see a great number of things.


1. I am thankful for being saved by believing in Jesus
    1) What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
        (Howard Hughes´ last words, "nothing and nothing")  (Mt 16:26).
    2) We are thankful for being born in the age of hearing the Gospel
        (Ro 10:17, 1Pe 1:20-21).
    3) We are thankful for living in a country like Korea where we can live Christian lives
        freely (Ps 33:12, 1Ti 2:1-2).
    4) We are thankful for a church we like (Eph 1:23, 3:10-11).

2. I am thankful for finding myself through God´s grace
    - We feel empty after retiring from work (Jn 1:13, Ro 8:15-16)
    1) We find ourselves as new creations through the redemption on the Cross
        - We no longer have an identity crisis (2 Co 5:17, 1Pe 2:9)
    2) We are thankful for recognizing our good God - from the threefold curse to the
        threefold blessings and holistic salvation (spiritual, mental, and physical salvation)
        (Jn 3:16, 3 Jn 1:2).
    3) We are thankful for living by faith through His grace.
        (1) He bears our heavy burdens (Mt 3:28, Jn 7:37-38).
        (2) The Lord crosses over the river, carrying us on His back and walks through the
             desert, carrying us in His hands (Ps 23:1, Dt 1:31).
        (3) We are thankful for relying on God completely and praying
             (Ps 37: 5, 55:22, 1Pe 5:7, Mt 6:31-33, 7:7).

3. I am thankful for the hope of the eternal kingdom of heaven
    1) Released from the power of the devil (Col 1:13, 1 Co 15:55).
    2) Released from the bondage of the law (Ro 8:1-2, Gal 3:13).
    3) Released from boasting about human works (Pr 16:2, Isa 64:6, Ro 3:27).
    4) Being saved only by faith (Eph 2:8-9, Ro 10:9).
    5) The last hope (Jn 14:1-3, 1Pe 1:3-4, Rev 21:4).


Conclusion : Each of us has a lot of things to give thanks for. However, we have thought about things to give thanks for in common as believers. The more we give thanks, the closer we are to God. The more we complain, the farther we are away from God. The more we give thanks, the more we will have to give thanks. Reverend Spurgeon said, "God gives electric lights to those who are thankful for candlelight, the sun to those who are thankful for electric lights, and heaven where they don´t need all those things to those who are thankful for the sun."