Thanksgiving: The Gateway to Joy in Difficult Times

Dear friend in the Messiah,

Shalom. I am thankful for you, your willingness to stand with the Jewish people, and your prayers as we reach Jewish people around the world.

We are approaching Thanksgiving, and I have been thinking a lot about the importance of giving thanks as a spiritual discipline—maybe more than in past years—because of the war in Israel and the rise of global antisemitism. But I know it is God’s will for me to thank Him in all circumstances. 

I enjoy saying thank you when eating delicious foods, including the usual bountiful feast of turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows (a personal favorite), and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Yet, as much as I enjoy the meal and family time, I know that thanksgiving is more than a feast! As believers in the Messiah Jesus, we are called to cultivate a daily spirit of thanksgiving. Paul wrote,  “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

And King David before him sang, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, ‘His lovingkindness is everlasting’” (Psalm 118:1–2). Thanksgiving is an everyday possibility when we know the Lord and praise Him for His goodness and grace.

Everyday Thanksgiving and the Hope-Filled Life

This wonderful psalm has been recited for centuries by Jewish people as part of the Hallel Psalms, also known as the “praise psalms,” which are chanted during our major Jewish festivals. Many Christian scholars also believe it was one of the psalms sung by Jesus and His disciples at the conclusion of their Passover meal (Matthew 26:30). Whether read in synagogue, church, or as a reflection in private devotion, Psalm 118 resonates across faith traditions as a song of thanksgiving that leads to hope. It bridges human suffering and divine deliverance, rejection and acceptance, despair and gratefulness.

David frames the conclusion of the psalm with almost the same words as it begins when he writes, “You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Psalm 118:28–29).

The psalm encourages us to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving, which is so important for our spiritual well-being. Giving thanks is also a survival tool for the dark moments of our lives. Thanking God amid life’s greatest challenges enables us to be grateful for the small blessings we would otherwise either not notice or take for granted.

Grateful for God’s Mercy in Life’s Darkest Times

Allow me to share the story of my friend, Ellis Goldstein, who discovered how to give thanks during very challenging circumstances. I am so moved by this story that I have also shared his story in our newsletter—so do not be surprised if you remember seeing it! 

Ellis was born into a traditional Jewish family with roots in Eastern Europe. Everything changed during his college years at Penn State. Through conversations with a patient campus mentor, he began exploring passages about the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. Initially skeptical and confused, he struggled to understand how these ancient prophecies could have relevance to his modern life. Six months later, in a moment of divine revelation, which he described as having “a veil lifted,” he suddenly understood that Jesus was his Messiah. This was not merely intellectual acknowledgment but a heartfelt recognition that transformed his entire worldview. The same Scriptures he had studied mechanically as a child now came alive as God’s personal letter to him.

This newfound faith became the cornerstone of his family life. He and his wife, Colleen, raised their daughter, Heather, with the same vibrant faith that had transformed their own lives. Their joy knew no bounds when, at a very young age, Heather made her own decision to trust Jesus as her Savior. She grew into an exceptional young woman—academically gifted, wise beyond her years, and someone her peers sought out for guidance and counsel.

Then came the moment that would shatter their world. On January 19, 1994, as Ellis stood in his garage preparing to leave, state police pulled into their driveway. They handed him Heather’s driver’s license and delivered the devastating news: Their seventeen-and-a-half-year-old daughter had died in a fatal car accident. The tragedy that no parent should ever face had become their reality.

Years later, another crushing blow struck their already wounded family. Colleen began experiencing throat problems that led to a devastating diagnosis: ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He watched helplessly as this cruel neurodegenerative disease systematically robbed his beloved wife of her ability to speak, write, and eventually breathe properly. When Colleen expressed that her suffering had become unbearable and she longed to be with the Lord, he faced the agonizing reality of losing his remaining family member. After Ellis took his wife to the hospital because of her labored breathing, the doctor gently informed him that Colleen wouldn’t be coming home. Several days later, in the middle of the night, while Ellis was sleeping in a chair next to her bed, two nurses woke him up to tell him Colleen was gone.

Standing alone in that hospice room, having lost both his daughter and his wife, he cried out to God in raw anguish: “You’ve taken away my entire family. What am I supposed to do?” The loneliness felt beyond description, a pain so deep it seemed to challenge the very foundation of his faith.

Yet, it was precisely in this darkest valley that God’s grace became most visible. While Heather’s death had caused him to question God’s love for an extended period, Colleen’s passing revealed something different—not doubt, but profound assurance. He saw God’s mercy and grace displayed in ways he never expected, recognizing that both his daughter and wife had transitioned from earthly bodies into the eternal presence of their Savior. Their faith in Jesus as Messiah had secured their place in God’s presence, transforming death from an ending into an eventual reunion.

Through unspeakable loss, Ellis’s testimony reveals how faith in Jesus provides strength, despite life’s tragedies, and can help us find hope, purpose, and even gratitude in the midst of them. His story echoes the psalmist’s journey through dark valleys and his ultimate discovery that God’s love and presence remain constant, even when everything familiar is stripped away. This is faith tested by fire and found genuine, which is a testament to God’s sustaining power when human strength fails.

I am amazed that Ellis, who recently remarried, has served the Lord faithfully for many years and remains an inspiration to thousands through his work with Cru.^[1] Of course, it has been a long journey for my friend, but because of his relationship with the Lord Jesus, he has been able to experience daily renewal and live a hope-filled and joyful life.

A Heart of True Gratitude

Gratitude is God’s antidote to hopelessness. When we remain thankful in tough times, it is not a naïve surrender to the difficult moments we all go through, but a decision to trust Him through the hard times and reject the temptation to become embittered. Doing so is possible because the Lord lives within us by His Spirit and, through Him, we can be victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57).

When illness shadows our days, when loss leaves us breathless, and when uncertainty plagues us, we can be grateful for the Lord who is with us in the hard times. The psalmist teaches us that gratitude is not built upon the absence of trials but upon our trust in God’s character and sustaining power.

As I speak to our staff in Israel who are still running to bomb shelters with their families while continuing to preach the gospel to their fellow Israelis, or to our staff who are enduring the trials of living in war-torn Ukraine—and still have joy, I know that they have a source of spiritual power that transforms their lives because they know the Lord. 

Thankful for You!

November is my spiritual birthday month. I accepted Jesus as my Messiah in November 1970 as a young Jewish man searching for truth, just a couple of weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday. Rejoice with me, and, if you wish, send me a happy spiritual birthday note! 

On behalf of our staff in the United States, Israel, and twenty other countries across the globe, I want to thank you for your prayers, financial support, and for encouraging us in our mission to reach Jewish people everywhere with the gospel message.

Happy Thanksgiving and may the Lord fill you with hope and joy as you praise Him for who He is and what He has done! So, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Amen!

Your brother,

Mitch

P.S.   Let us know if you would like to receive the book Why Israel? Understanding God’s Plan for Israel & the Nations, written by Thomas Fretwell. He is the director of the Ezra Foundation, a ministry we partner with in the United Kingdom. We will send it to you for your gift of $55 or more as a way of praising God with me for being a believer for 55 years!

Thank God, it looks like a peace agreement has been signed. Let’s pray that the treaty will be recognized by all those in the region trying to destroy Israel.

^[1]           CRU is a Christian organization focused on evangelism and discipleship, founded in 1951 by Dr. Bill and Vonette Bright.