when gratitude feels out of reach
When Thanksgiving rolls around, we often picture cozy tables, family gathered, and heartfelt toasts. But for many, this season brings complicated emotions. Maybe there’s an empty chair this year. Maybe life feels uncertain, and gratitude feels forced.
If that’s you, take comfort - you’re in good company. The Bible is full of people who faced fear, loss, and confusion, yet somehow still gave thanks.
gratitude in the middle of struggle
The psalmists didn’t fake happiness. They cried out, “My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). They lamented, “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?” (Psalm 13:2).
And yet, many of those same psalms end with praise. How? Because they weren’t focused on what they saw but who they knew God to be.
Gratitude doesn’t erase grief. It reminds us that grief doesn’t have the final word.
gratitude as reorientation
When the prophet Habakkuk saw violence and injustice around him, he cried out, “How long, Lord?” - but by the end, he declared, “Though the fig tree does not bud…yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
His world didn’t change. His focus did. Gratitude became an act of faith, not circumstance.
That kind of gratitude reorients the heart. It says: Even when life doesn’t make sense, God is still good, and His story isn’t finished.
gratitude in the shadow of the cross
At the Last Supper, knowing betrayal and death were hours away, Jesus gave thanks. He broke bread and offered gratitude - right before giving His life.
That moment redefined thanksgiving forever. Gratitude became not just a response to blessing but a declaration of trust in the middle of suffering.
gratitude and the story of the bible
From Genesis to Revelation, gratitude is woven through the story of God’s faithfulness. The Hebrew word todah (תּוֹדָה) means both “thanks” and “praise” - not for what we have, but for who God is.
It’s a posture of remembering. Every time God’s people forgot, they drifted. Every time they remembered, they found their footing again. Gratitude, then, is remembering the Story - and the One writing it.
what this means for us
This Thanksgiving, maybe gratitude doesn’t look like a perfect table or a long list of blessings. Maybe it’s simpler. Maybe it’s whispering, “God, I trust You,” even when you don’t have all the answers.
Maybe gratitude is the doorway to deeper faith - the bridge from confusion to clarity, from self-reliance to surrender.
As Paul wrote from prison, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Not for all things, but in all things.
reflection questions:
When has gratitude felt hardest for you, and what helped shift your focus?
What does giving thanks in all circumstances - not for them - look like in your life?
Who might need encouragement from your gratitude this week?
take this with you:
“I will give thanks to uou, lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” - psalm 9:1
Paige Peacock Vanosky brings a deeply personal and communal approach to biblical teaching, influenced by her formative years under the mentorship of Dr. Buckner Fanning at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.
Her foundational principle - drawing circles instead of lines - has shaped her ministry and led to the creation of a Bible study that embraces diverse religious perspectives. This study laid the groundwork for The 30-Minute Bible, designed to provide an objective and approachable exploration of the Bible's narratives, making the text accessible to seekers and believers from all walks of life.