Happy Thanksgiving! I hope today brings moments of joy, connection, and rest, but I also know that for many, this season holds both celebration and sorrow. Some of us come to Thanksgiving with full hearts; others arrive carrying burdens or memories that feel heavy. Wherever you find yourself, please know that God wants to meet you right there. It’s into all the complexity of real life that Paul invites us to lift our eyes and remember the deepest truth of all: “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15).
It’s a fascinating ending. Paul has been talking about giving; about cheerful generosity, willing hearts, and God’s promise to supply abundantly. But then he pivots from their gifts to God’s gift. It’s as if Paul is saying, “If you want to understand generosity, don’t start with what you give. Start with what you’ve been given.”
Paul calls God’s gift “inexpressible,” it’s quite literally beyond words. It’s the kind of generosity that breaks language. Why? Because God’s greatest gift isn’t a thing we can hold but a person who holds us. It is Jesus himself, God’s self-giving love made flesh. And this gift is not just a past event, it’s a present reality. In Christ, God gives us grace that abounds, peace that holds, strength that sustains, forgiveness that frees, and hope that doesn’t run dry. The same God who supplies seed to the sower is still supplying everything needed to make generosity, gratitude, and joy flourish in our lives. Even then, we’re trying to give words to something that surpasses the ability of our language.
That’s why true thanksgiving demands more than a feeling, but a response. Gratitude is the echo of grace. When you trace every blessing you have back to its source, every breath, every relationship, every provision, every good thing, you’ll discover the same Giver behind them all. And the more clearly you see him, the more naturally your heart says, “Thanks be to God!”
So this Thanksgiving, as you gather around tables, as you reflect on the year, as you name the gifts God has placed in your hands, don’t miss the greatest gift he has placed in your life: Jesus, God’s generosity wrapped in human flesh. So this Thanksgiving, may your heart overflow with gratitude… gratitude that runs so deeply, it surpasses the words that you have. And maybe then, you join Paul in saying, with full hearts and open hands, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” Amen.
Pastor Ryan Paulson
Happy Thanksgiving from our Devotional Team to you and your family!