In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)
Last weekend I picked up my grandson’s big fat backpack to throw over my shoulder. It got the upper hand. I mean, it was half my height, thick, and heavy.
How in the world does he carry this, I wondered?
To be fair, it was filled with extra stuff for an overnighter. But as I put it down with a bang at my feet, my mind flashed through years of backpacks from our own kids’ school years. Even then, pink canvas Strawberry Shortcake bags and blue Spiderman school bags strained at their seams with books, notebooks, snacks and lunches.
When I heard my grandson’s backpack thud to the floor, I could almost feel its daily chug of burden sitting on my own back. I thought how lovely it would be to let that weight slip from my shoulders and lay it down.
Because as I trudged into my day ahead, I too carried a load. Not the kind that gets dumped on the floor, but the type that needed offloading at the foot of the cross. Yet, sometimes letting go is not so easy.
I’ve been shoving a lot into the crammed spaces inside of me. I’ve pushed stuff into corners and jammed them into pockets. Things to do. Things to worry about. Things to process. The necessary, the oughta, the shoulda, the cant’s, and the musts. My load feels so full, fat, and heavy. I don’t think I can carry it all.
And full steam ahead looms Thanksgiving. Then Christmas.
Like my grandson’s back pack, it all feels… too much…
It’s almost impossible to count blessings while carrying all the weighty burdens of life. Perhaps this is one reason the Bible commands thanks.
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,” Paul wrote. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)
The words were addressed to a burdened congregation of Christ followers. They had worries about the future. They dealt with difficult people. Heaviness and lethargy weighed them down. Paul wanted to restore hope as they sorrowed over fellow believers who had died. The church felt unsure about making life decisions.It’s almost impossible to count blessings while carrying all the weighty burdens of life. Share on X
They carried questions and wrestled with uncertainties. Paul wanted to help them offload those burdens and find respite in Christ. And so, Paul commanded thanksgiving. For thankfulness is part of doing His will.
A few days ago, my Bible reading took me to Psalm 118:24.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (NKJV)
I’ve perhaps not recognized the power of those words simply because of the catchy tune they take me to. As I read from the Psalms and again from Paul’s writings, the Psalmist’s words struck me anew.
I wrote it in my journal the date, “This is November 17, 2025, the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” And, I almost heard the thud of a backpack as it hit the floor.
From the Israelites looking toward the promise of a Messiah, to Paul’s assurance of Jesus the Messiah, thanksgiving has and will always be an act of faith. One that lightens the weight we carry and takes it from our backs to the foot of the cross.
Giving thanks confirms a mind set on the assurance that a Good and Sovereign God knows what He is doing, regardless of the stresses we lay on our own shoulders.
God’s character and His heart are trustworthy. Therefore, I can hand Him every piece of my overflowing backpack. The lists, the relationships, the decisions, and the busyness. I can lay all of its heaviness down. I can rejoice in this November day of 2025. Because it is truly His, not mine to carry.
This Thanksgiving season make way for praise by first laying down the burdens. When we praise unencumbered, worship flows.
And when I, and perhaps you too, find myself reaching back to tug the weight back up onto my shoulders again, may we choose thanks.
“This November day, 2025, is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Gina Castell
Amen! He will daily bear or burdens. PTL.❤️ G🙌