11/27/2025
Today you’ll see a lot of online “Happy Thanksgiving” greetings accompanied by pictures of full tables, filled seats, and big smiles.
And that is beautiful. We hope that’s a real and joyful reality for so many of you today.
But if your table feels empty today of food, family, or both, know you aren't forgotten. This day is also for you.
Psalm 100 is often called a psalm of thanksgiving. It paints a picture of God’s people who were walking toward His presence, not because life was easy, because it wasn't, but because He was worthy. Gratitude isn’t denial of pain, it’s trust in God’s goodness.
Just like you can have real joy from the Lord while still being genuinely sad, you can practice thanksgiving while still lacking. Thanksgiving is not pretending it hurts less. It’s choosing, in the middle of it, to say: God is still good. His love is still steady. His character has not changed.
There is an old hymn inspired by Psalm 100:4 that captures this so simply:
“I will enter His gates with Thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.”
It’s a decision to come to God with a thankful heart. To step into His presence with praise. To say, “This day still belongs to the Lord.” And to choose rejoicing, not because everything around us is perfect, but because He is present and He is faithful.
And that kind of “glad” is sometimes a deep steadiness under the sorrow. A holy kind of hope that says, “I’m still here, God. I’m still coming to You.”
Whether today is heavy or happy for you, we hope you'll enter his courts with Praise.
Happy Thanksgiving!
