Thanksgiving is a Holiday that I believe is important for us all. It is said the pilgrims celebrated with a meal to thank God for His provision after much difficulty and trials. Governor Bradford proclaimed
a day of thanksgiving in the year 1676. October of 1777 witnessed a time when all the 13 colonies joined in a communal celebration. It also marked the victory over the British.
After a number of events and changes, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November of thanksgiving in the year 1863. This was due to the continuous efforts of Sarah Hale, a magazine editor.
When we take time to be thankful it gives God glory and it also gets our minds off of ourselves. People are constantly striving to be happy-I see news stories about it all the time, and the answer is so simple: bless others, consider their plight instead of your own. My grandmother used to say "There is always someone else who is worse off than you." And she was right...all we have to do is go look for them.
We take so much for granted. There are people in our own towns and cities that struggle daily for food and heat in their homes. I've never known that kind of struggle and sometimes I feel guilty about that, but guilt about something I had no control over is counterproductive. What God desires and even expects from us is to reach out and help those that are less fortunate. It's not hard to find them..all we have to do is call a local church or a church located in the inner city, a homeless shelter or Salvation Army office - they will have a long list of ways we can bless others, I am sure!
Yes, Thanksgiving is important and I pray we never let go of the tradition of celebrating together as families and neighbors and friends. True confessions: I didn't look through the whole bible myself, but there are at least 46 bible verses that speak of giving thanks. Here are a few:
Psalm 100:4 "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."
1 Chronicles 16:34 "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever ."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Happy Thanksgiving Day! Enjoy your meal and time with family and friends and if you don't have someone to celebrate with, know that the Lord God is always near.
No comments:
Post a Comment