5 inspirational songs for Thanksgiving: 'Rejoice in the goodness of God that has blessed us'

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Thursday, November 25, 2021

'Give Thanks'

The song “Give Thanks” was written in 1978 by a seminary student named Henry Smith, who was struggling to find employment and had learned that he was becoming legally blind.

For inspiration, Smith drew from 2 Corinthians 8:9, which reads: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

“Years later, a young worship leader named Don Moen would record Henry’s song, helping to carry it around the world,” noted the website Praise Charts in a 2012 entry.

“Today, you can hum ‘Give Thanks’ at almost any church in the world, no matter the country or the language, and someone will recognize this simple song of thanksgiving and trust.”