This weekend, as we are polishing off the leftovers from Thanksgiving Day, it’s important to remember the significance of what we just celebrated.

Recently, I listened to an interview with Dr. Tracy McKenzie, a professor of history at Wheaton College. Dr. McKenzie is an expert on the early colonial era and the pilgrims.

He spoke of the first Thanksgiving, which was held in the fall of 1621, at Plymouth. What we know about that day comes from the pen of a Pilgrim named Edward Winslow, in a letter that he wrote on Dec. 13, 1621.

Some things are different than the paintings we have seen of that event. The main meat was probably duck, and people were not sitting at long tables. In fact, they were likely sitting outside on stumps or on the ground. But much more importantly, they were eating with grateful hearts.

As Dr. McKenzie points out, the Pilgrims took the biblical virtue of “thanksgiving” very seriously. They believed that God was sovereign over all of life, and that they should therefore “give thanks in all circumstances.”

This is what the Apostle Paul speaks of: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Now that is a prescription for life! Let’s take a look.

“Rejoice always.” How is this possible in a fallen world, a world that often includes difficulty and pain? The answer is that we can know that even in our sufferings, God is forming us and shaping us. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

God is always at work, for his glory and our good. Therefore, Paul can say in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

“Pray without ceasing.” For human beings like us, who are wired to be self-reliant, this is a challenge. Our default mode is not to pray, but to try to do life on our own.

But what if we could have One who is all-powerful walking by our side? What if that omnipotent God loves us and is always working for our good? And what if he has proven his love for us by giving his only Son for us? What if he wants to hear from us and takes great delight in answering our prayers? All the above is true.

“Give thanks in all circumstances.” Our circumstances are not always good, but God is always good, and God in his sovereignty has allowed our circumstances to be what they are. He makes no mistakes. He “causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Rest in the knowledge that he loves you perfectly, knows your needs perfectly, and is able to meet them perfectly.

“For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Do you wonder about God’s will for you? Here it is: Turn to him and trust that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead. Trust your life into his hands. And then walk with him, rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks all the way.

Dr. Thurman R. Hayes is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Suffolk. Follow him on Twitter at @ThurmanHayesJr.