November 3, 2026
“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!” — Jonah 2:9 (ESV)
What do you do when life gives you every reason to lose hope?
Squanto knew what it meant to suffer.
In 1614, he was kidnapped from his homeland and taken overseas. When he returned to North America in 1619, he discovered that disease had devastated his Patuxet community.
Imagine returning home to find your world forever changed.
Then, in 1620, English settlers arrived in his homeland. They faced a harsh winter, scarce food, and an uncertain future.
Squanto helped the settlers by serving as an interpreter and teaching them about local food-growing and fishing practices. His story reminds us that even amid hardship, kindness can make a difference.
Thanksgiving is about more than food, family, and counting our blessings. It’s also an opportunity to recognize the people who have helped us through life’s hardest seasons.
Not everyone looks forward to Thanksgiving. Some face an empty chair at the table. Others struggle with family conflict, grief, or loneliness.
You may be carrying a burden no one else can see.
Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending life is perfect. It means recognizing the good that remains, even when life is hard.
In Jonah 2:9, Jonah offers thanks to God from the belly of a great fish. He wasn’t in a comfortable place, but he still recognized that salvation belonged to the Lord.
We don’t have to wait until everything is going well to give thanks.
Sometimes gratitude means remembering the person who stood beside us when life fell apart. Sometimes it means reaching out to someone who feels forgotten. And sometimes it begins with recognizing God’s faithfulness in the middle of our struggles.
A small act of kindness can make a bigger difference than we realize.
Today’s Challenge: Think about someone who has shown you kindness during a difficult season. Take a moment to thank that person. Then look for an opportunity to encourage someone who may be struggling.
You never know how much your kindness might mean.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness through every season of life. Help me recognize the kindness others have shown me and extend that same kindness to those who are hurting. Teach me to give thanks even when life is difficult and to share Your love with someone who needs hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Quote to Remember
“If we will only think, we shall begin to thank.” — Charles Spurgeon
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