Come, Give Thanks
“Come, ye thankful people, come.” So begins a well-known hymn.
This Thanksgiving Day will we truly come and give thanks to the Lord? For our families? Our many blessings? Our nation? Will we pause to name those blessings and in deep gratitude thank Him for them?
More families gather together on Thanksgiving than any other holiday. Food. Fun. Football watching. That’s what many Americans do.
And when gathered around the table this year will families still exchange happy memories and laugh about their fun times? Will they take time to pray after they have talked about their great events remembered and appreciated? I hope so.
And for relatives who live far away, we make phone calls to say: “Miss you–wish you were here with us.”
A read-through of the early history of our nation should give us an appreciation for this holiday. Our forefathers made great sacrifices.
“The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” – H.U. Westermayer.
President George Washington, Proclamation, October 3, 1789: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country …”
President Abraham Lincoln, Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1863: “I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, … to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”
May this be a Happy Thanksgiving for you and yours!
Quotes From Others:
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” –G. K. Chesterton
“Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.” –Robert Lewis Stevenson
Prayer: Father, we are forever grateful and thankful for Your love, mercy, benefits, blessings, and goodness to us. Thank you too for those who went before us to help establish this great nation–for their sacrifices and wisdom. This Thanksgiving season we pause to thank You also for our individual and deeply loved families. Amen.
Scriptures:
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5 NASB)
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. (Psalm 105:1-2 NIV)
Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits. (Psalm 103:2 AMP)
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