Now, we are walking through the season of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a turning point of faith. “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” These were Jesus’ words to one of the ten lepers He healed— the one who, for reasons unknown, stopped on his way, turned back, and gave thanks. That Samaritan leper was saved by faith.

He did not begin life with great or deep faith. Risking rejection, he entered a foreign region and joined a group of Jewish lepers to receive healing. Afterward, seeking to restore his lost citizenship, he resolved to show his healed body to a Jewish priest, joining the other nine on their journey. It was a life-risking act.

Once their citizenship was restored, they hurried off toward the new life awaiting them. But the Samaritan could not forget the grace of the One who had healed him. He chose to return and give thanks. That moment of gratitude became a turning point in his life.

Faith is nourished and sustained by the food of thanksgiving. To have a grateful heart—and to know to whom we give thanks— is the path to salvation. The Lord says, “Rise and go!” Thanksgiving is not only the center of Christian devotion, but also a powerful force that compels believers to live faithfully in the world.

Through thanksgiving, we recognize the grace God has shown us until now. In this sense, thanksgiving is heaven itself.

Thanksgiving is both a posture of the heart and a pattern of action. The Apostle Paul quotes the rabbinic proverb: “Give alms—give with a joyful heart.” The Greek word for “joyful” is hilaron [ἱλαρὸν], the root of the English word hilarious. It means more than mere cheerfulness— it reflects a spirit of delight. “For God loves a cheerful giver.”

By contrast, the Greek word skythrōpos [σκυθρωπός] describes a sad, gloomy, or reluctant face— used for those who give hesitantly or without understanding. The early fathers of faith affirmed: “A joyful face in giving reflects a joyful heart,” and “Joyful giving belongs to the inner freedom of generosity.” (New Testament Theological Dictionary, Vol. III, pp. 298–300)

“God loves a cheerful giver” implies divine reward. Paul understood this as a principle of balance— what is given returns in manifold blessings from God. He described it as a kind of circular motion: grace received, grace overflowing, and the unspeakable gift of self-sufficiency.

As Paul boldly declares in 2 Corinthians 9:8, 14–15: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

In short, those who give to God with joy have already received the grace of generosity. And in the desire to give, God has already filled every need— even those we do not yet know.

May this Thanksgiving be joyful and blessed. I pray this in the name of the Lord. Amen.

© TaeHun Yoon, November 1991 Based on 2 Corinthians 9:6–15

<2 Corinthians 9:6-15> New International Version

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”^[a]

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!