Thanksgiving Lesson One: Thank God for Who He Is

This devotional series from Answers Bible Curriculum is a great classroom activity. If you are not in a class, find a few friends or family members to read through the lessons and play the bingo game with you (download and print below).

James 1:17

Let’s see who is responsible for the good gifts we’ve been given. Read James 1:17.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

• Where does every good and perfect gift come from? From above, from the Father of lights.

• Who is the Father of lights? God.

  Father of lights is a name for God as Creator because he made the sun, moon, and stars—the “lights.”

• The verse described God by saying he has no variation or shadow due to change. What do you think that means? What is that saying about God?

  Unlike the sun, moon, and stars, which are visible at only certain times and appear to change, God does not change. There is a special word to describe this quality, or attribute, of God. It is immutable. Immutable means that God will never change.

• Why can we be grateful that God is immutable, or changeless?

  It means we can always count on him! He won’t change his mind or go back on his word.

Throughout our lesson, you’ll be adding words to the bingo squares on your game card (download below and print), which we’ll use at the end of this series for a game! Make sure to copy the words when I tell you, so that your sheet will be complete. We learned that gratefulness is showing appreciation for what we’ve been given. Go ahead and write “Gratefulness” in any square you choose on your bingo card, but just write it once. We want to show our appreciation to God, the giver of all things, so write “God” in one square. Then let’s add the first attribute of God we just learned: Immutable. This means God will never change.

Psalm 33:2–5

Other attributes of God are given in the Old Testament book of Psalms. Read Psalm 33:2–5.

²Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! ³Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. ⁴For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. ⁵He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

• This passage gives praise and thanks to God for several attributes. Let’s see if we can find them all. What does verse 4 say about the word of the Lord? How is it described? Upright.
• In the same verse, how are God’s works done? In faithfulness.
• What two things does God love? Look in verse 5. Righteousness and justice.

• And what is the earth full of? The steadfast love of the Lord.

  The Word of God is upright, or true. We can trust the Bible because God is the author, and he can’t lie. Then God’s works are faithful. Faithfulness means that God will always keep his promises. We can trust him completely. Aren’t you thankful that we can trust in God, who he is, and his Word, the Bible?

  God loves righteousness and justice. He always does what is right because he cannot sin. He is holy! God is also just. That means he is fair according to who he is. He will punish those who sin and break his commands, but he shows steadfast love to those who trust in him.

Let’s add these words to your sheets: “Holy”, “Faithfulness”, “Righteous”, “Just”, “Love”.

Psalm 100:1–5

Let’s read another psalm for giving thanks: Psalm 100:1–5. If you didn’t know, psalms are prayers and hymns (songs) to God. So these verses could be sung to the Lord accompanied by instruments. One way that we can thank God is through worship!

¹Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! ²Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! ³Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! ⁵Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

When we sing and praise God for who he is, we are giving thanks, which pleases the Lord.

• What are the people doing in verses 1 and 2? Making a joyful noise to the Lord, serving the Lord, singing.

  The people are singing and praising the Lord!

• What does verse 3 say about God? He made us.

  God is our Creator. He made each of you as a special creation in his image!

• What are the Lord’s people called in verse 3? Sheep.

• If we are sheep, what is this verse saying about God? Who cares for and looks after the sheep? The shepherd.

  Another famous psalm, Psalm 23:1–3, is all about the Lord being our shepherd and taking care of us. Sheep need a shepherd because they often wander away, get lost, and need to be found and brought back to the flock. That is what God does for us! He doesn’t leave us lost and helpless and alone; he loves each sheep and will seek to restore it.

• We should give thanks to God and bless him for all he has done. Why should we do this? Verse 5 gives the answer. What does it say about God? What attributes of God are in that verse? There are three. Good, loving, faithful.

  God gives good gifts because he is good!

• How long does God’s love toward us last? Forever.

God is good, loving, and faithful! We already have love and faithfulness written down on your bingo sheet, so let’s add two titles for God, “Creator” and “Shepherd,” and the quality “Good.” Write these words in any three squares you choose.