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Thanksgiving - A Day for Re-setting Your Priorities
November 21, 2006
The first Thanksgiving in New England was celebrated in Plymouth less than a year after the Plymouth colonists had settled in America. The first dreadful winter in Massachusetts had killed about half the members of the colony. But new hope arose in the summer of 1621. The settlers expected a good corn harvest, despite poor crops of peas, wheat, and barley. Thus, in early autumn, governor William Bradford arranged a harvest festival to give thanks to God for the progress the colony had made. God had been with them and God had richly blessed them. It was the least they could do!
What always comes to my mind when I think of the First Thanksgiving is the fact that these early American settlers prepared the feast with God in mind. The pilgrims knew without a doubt that everything they had accomplished was all because of God's blessings - not because of what they had done themselves. Today, America seems to forget, even myself sometimes, that God has so richly blessed us - not only as a predominately Christian nation but also He has blessed us individually with a gift that cannot compare to anything else man can ever obtain. Thanksgiving Day is not about turkey, cranberry sauce, or football.
Sometimes, people will say to me "How are you doing today"? And my response is always, "Better than I deserve". To the non-believer, this is sometimes puzzling and often results in a grimace on his/her face. But to the Christian - it is understood. Why? Because I don't deserve what God has given me, I don't deserve to have a wonderful family, I don't even deserve to be standing up, let alone breathing in air. Because I am a sinner, I deserve eternal separation from God in a place called Hell.
James 4:14 tells us, "For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away".
God gives man the breath of life and God will eventually take away the very breath he gave. But God loves me and He loves you - it is the things we can't see that we sometimes aren't truly thankful for. We sometimes have our priorities in an order that is not pleasing to Him. The Bible tells us that we are to:
"Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people." I Chronicles 16:8
Yes, some may have nice homes, nice clothes, a good job, lots of wealth, and just about every other material thing that one could hope for. But what we must truly be thankful for is that God loves us. Yes He really does - He loves me so much that He gave HIS Son for my sins so that I could have life abudantly.
That is what I must be thankful for - because I know that whatever I face in the life that's set before me, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has already walked the steps I will walk. Though this life is difficult at times, Jesus Christ has paid my sin debt and has given me eternal life - for that I am truly thankful. Thanksgiving Day is today, tomorrow, and all the days of your life.
What are you thankful for?
Mark Etheridge
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