30 Day Thanksgiving Bible Study (Explore Gratitude from Genesis to Revelation)
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God’s Word is full of thanksgiving in both the Old and New Testaments, and whether or not the word thanks is written, the concept of thankfulness and praise abounds even in the darkest days of redemptive history. Anytime is a good time for a thanksgiving Bible study, and even more so as our annual Thanksgiving holiday approaches.
The Bible shows us thanksgiving in its various forms: thankfulness to the Lord God and Jesus Christ, thanksgiving for others in their walk with Christ, and instructions to be thankful and have an “attitude of gratitude," as some have called it.
Let’s tour through all the books of the Bible to see the prevalence of the concept of thankfulness. While the word thanksgiving is not found in all passages having to do with thankfulness, the implication is clear. We will expound on some passages, while others will be referenced for your personal study. This Bible study is structured to have 30 days of Scripture study so that you can end around the Thanksgiving holiday if you choose.
Where Do We Find the Concept of Thankfulness in the Old Testament?
Day 1: Genesis 8:14-22 - Noah and his family—eight souls—departed the ark along with all the animals the Lord God commanded him to shelter during the time of the flood. God said, “Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth--that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." Just as God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply on the earth, so too he told Noah who was set in a “new” creation to repopulate the earth after the flood.
When Noah emerged, he thanked God in a worshipful act, built an altar, and offered sacrifices of clean animals and birds. The aroma pleased God and was accepted by Him. God then made an everlasting covenant with Noah never to destroy the world again through a flood. This was the Noahic covenant, which continued God’s covenants with man, consummated in Jesus Christ, whose covenant of grace extends to all humanity who surrender to Him in faith and repentance. Genesis 9:13 and 16 speak of the symbol the Lord God displays as a sign of the covenant—the rainbow we thank God for each time He places one in the sky.
Day 2: Numbers 7 lists the offerings brought to the Tabernacle, something that was done with great thankfulness. When Moses completed setting up the Tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it and the altar with all its furnishings and accessories, the “chiefs of Israel” came bearing offerings before the Lord. Their offerings were a thanksgiving for all the Lord had done. We, too, can continue to offer our possessions and talents as thanksgiving offerings to God for all he has done.
Day 3: Ruth 2:9-13 – Naomi encourages Ruth to seek out Boaz as a possible kinsman-redeemer after their return from Moab. Boaz took Ruth under his care and protected her from others who might otherwise take advantage of her. He showed her great favor and she, in turn, showed Boaz great favor by choosing him above younger men. Ruth thanked Boaz when she said, "I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants." This whole narrative points to Christ as our ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, and it behooves us to read the whole book while thanking the Lord for His kindness to us.
Day 4: 2 Kings 4:37 – Earlier in chapter four, the prophet Elisha had encountered a Shunamite woman and proclaimed God would give her a child. When the child was still a young boy, he died, and the Shunamite woman, even in her distress, showed unswerving faith by going to Elisha to seek restoration of her son’s life. Elisha went back to her home, and after prayer, God used him to bring breath back to the boy. In verse 47, we read that “she came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.”
This account encourages us to thank God and worship him in humility, even in bleak situations when we are tempted to lose hope. It also supports the truth that our Lord is our hope and is sovereign over all life.
Day 5: Nehemiah 12:24-27 – The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was completed, and at its dedication, the chiefs of the Levites came and “celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.” This passage demonstrates that it’s good to celebrate how God brings restoration.
Day 6: Psalm 118:28-29 is a passage well worth memorizing as part of our daily worship of the Lord: “You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” Our God is personal. He cares for us, and we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Day 7: Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 – Not many would go to the book of Ecclesiastes for a bounty of thankfulness, but King Solomon, in his wisdom, gives us a look at the true meaning of life, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). On the way to that awe-inspiring truth, we see Solomon acknowledge the Lord God as the One who gives us our work and the enjoyment we do get from life. Implicit in this is thanksgiving for the “wisdom and knowledge and joy” given to those who please God.
Day 8: Daniel 2:23 – Daniel, held captive in Babylon and not knowing his earthly outcome, faithfully proclaims thanksgiving to the Lord for working in him during his exile. As we wait for the Lord’s return, we truly are sojourners and exiles (1 Peter 2:11). As we ponder this, it’s good to read Daniel’s account and thank God we have access to Him anytime and anywhere.
Day 9: Amos 5:8 is a praise of thankfulness for God’s sovereign creation and rule over the earth. As you begin your day, look outside at the beauty found in every season.
Day 10: Obadiah (the whole book) “Obadiah’s little book warns us against pride, revenge, and bitterness, and reminds us that we serve a powerful, sovereign God who loves and protects His children today just like he loved and protected the children of Israel in ancient times, no matter how many times they strayed from Him. May we be wise hearers and live accordingly.
Day 11: Jonah 2:2-9 – Jonah, while in the belly of the great fish, thanks God for salvation. We can thank God we are in the world but not of it—not held in slavery to its wants and wiles (John 15:18-19).
Day 12: Micah 6:1-5 is a call to remember and thank God. Nahum’s very name means comfort and consolation (for which we thank God). Zephaniah 3:17 speaks about being thankful to God that He is faithful to fulfill His promises to us.
Days 13-16: The other Old Testament passages where we find thanksgiving modeled are in Exodus 15:2, Leviticus 7:11-15, Deuteronomy 6:10-15, Joshua 8:30-35, Judges-Chapter 5, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, 2 Samuel 7:18-29, 1 Kings 8:15, 1 Chronicles 16:34, 2 Chronicles 20:21, Ezra 3:11-13, Esther chapters 9-10, Job 1:20-21, Proverbs 17:22, Song of Solomon 4:1-7, Isaiah 12:3-6, Jeremiah 33:11, Lamentations 3:21-25, Ezekiel 34:11-31, Hosea 6:3, Joel 3:10, Habakkuk 3:3, Haggai 2:3-4, Zechariah 8:18-23, and Malachi 1:1-5. All these speak to God's continued faithfulness to His people and His ultimate promise of Jesus. So much for us to ponder and be grateful for!
Where Do We Find the Concept of Thankfulness in the New Testament?
The call to thankfulness is more direct in the New Testament because, as Christians, thankfulness is commanded as an outward sign of who we are in Christ (Colossians 3:16).
Day 17: Mark 12:33 – Love overshadows everything else (1 John 4:8), including sacrifices instituted under the Law to atone for sin. The sacrifices gave the Jewish nation a means by which they could express their thanksgiving to the Lord God. Yet sacrifices wouldn’t have been necessary had they just obeyed the law. We see in Romans 3:20 that the Law was given to reveal sin, and no created human can fully obey the Law; only Jesus Christ—the perfect God-man—could fulfill the Law. The ultimate goal of the Law is that man would learn to love God first and to love others as themselves.
Day 18: Acts 5:41-42 – After Jesus’ ascension and the day of Pentecost, the Spirit-filled Apostles saturated their world with the good news of the Gospel of the kingdom. While in Jerusalem, the Sadducees, “filled with jealousy,” rose up and had the Apostles jailed. During the night, an angel freed them and they proceeded to the temple and began teaching the people. The officers gathered Peter and the Apostles and took them before the high priest for questioning. Peter and the Apostles proclaimed, “We must obey God rather than men” (v. 29). The chief priests had the Apostles beaten and charged them “not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go” (v. 40). How did the Apostles react? “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (v. 41). In their rejoicing, they were thanking God for the privilege of suffering—just as Jesus suffered for them (and us).
Day 19: Galatians 5 – the whole chapter imbues a sense of thankfulness to the Lord for our freedom in Christ. We are no longer slaves to our flesh but are free to live in the Holy Spirit's power and, through His power, to bear fruit.
Day 20: Ephesians 5:14-20 – The days are evil; how are Christians to act? “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 18-20).
Day 21: Philippians 1:3 – Paul thanks God for the people to whom he ministered. Pause and thank God for the people with whom you serve in your local congregation.
Day 22: Colossians 3:15-16 – We are called to be peaceable, and within the church, we are called to give thanks for all we have been called to do within the body—teaching and admonishing with wisdom is to be done in a manner akin to singing psalms to the Lord, always with thanksgiving in our hearts to God.
Day 23: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – We are to always rejoice in the Lord, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for us.
Day 24: Titus 2:11 – The passage of Titus 2:11-14 is regarded by scholars as one of the great theological passages in the Bible. Verse 11 reads, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” The Apostle Paul expounds on this great truth in deep thankfulness for what the Lord Jesus has done.
Day 25: James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above—all that is good and perfect is from our Father God. James’ statement brims with thanksgiving for everything given by the Lord. He started his book by telling us to count it all joy when we endure trials of various kinds. God is working in us, changing us more and more into the image of Christ.
Day 26: Revelation 7:12 – the Apostle John gets a knee-dropping glimpse into the throne room of heaven, and there the angels and the elders and the four living creatures surround God’s throne on their faces in worship, “saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’” Thanksgiving emanates from the center of heaven throughout all creation. How fitting to end our look at thanksgiving throughout the Bible with this verse.
Days 27-30:
Other New Testament Passages which proclaim a call for thanksgiving include Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 10:21, John 11:41, Romans 1:8, 18-30, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 2 Corinthians 4:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:4-5, 1 Timothy 4:4, 2 Timothy 1:3, Philemon 1:4, Hebrews 12:28, 1 Peter 5:6-7, 2 Peter 1:3, 1 John 1:1-4, 2 John 1:4, 3 John 1:5-6, and the book off Jude (whose name means "praised").
How Can We Cultivate a Spirit of Thanksgiving Every Day?
Every time we spend time in God’s Word, we are given more reasons to praise and thank God for Who he is, what He’s done, doing, and will do, and for who we are in Christ because of His sacrifice. We have eternal life in Christ (1 John 5:11-13), and if we continually think on that, we will cultivate hearts of great thanksgiving, not only during the time of the Thanksgiving holiday, but year-round.
As you peruse and pray over the passages in this list, my prayer is that you come away praising God for all His benefits toward us (Psalm 103:2).
God truly is worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving.
Further Reading
Cultivate a Heart of Thankfulness with a Week of Thanksgiving
The Power of Thanksgiving and a Thankful Heart
Living with an Attitude of Thanksgiving
3 Transformative Studies of Thankfulness from the Bible
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