Him with thanksgiving." (Psalm 69:30)
Well, it's finally arrived. My favorite season of the year - autumn, and in a few days, one of my two favorite holidays - Thanksgiving. I love the warm days and cool nights, the various sports related to the season and I love the fellowship, and yes the food, related to the holiday.
Did you ever pause to think about the timing of Thanksgiving holiday? Why it's observed in November, in late autumn? Think about it for a moment. It's the perfect time of the year to have a special day of being thankful for the things we've been blessed with. It's harvest time. It's the time we reap the benefits of the bounty of the crops that were sowed.
When we look at all of the seasons of the year, we see that it fits perfectly with an autumn occurrence. In the sense of crops and reaping benefits, think of it this way. Winter is not only cold, but is the germination period. Then spring comes and that brings warmer weather and rain and the seeds begin to grow. Summer has the hot weather that matures the crops and then fall (autumn) and we realize the benefit of the collective efforts of the seasons - harvest.
Having said that I see the Thanksgiving holiday as perfectly situated to the fall of the year, I'd like to emphasize that we should be grateful all year round for the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. We should be thankful and while being so, remember Who bestows those blessings.
Now we all remember the history lessons we learned in elementary school about the pilgrims and the Indians and the origin of "our" Thanksgiving Day observance, don't we? I emphasized "our" observance, but historically, it certainly wasn't the first "day" so designated. I don't know when the actual first one was, but I do know one that occurred a little over 2500 years ago.
After the Jews had returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity, led by Nehemiah, they rebuilt the wall around the city, despite various setbacks and dangers. Upon completion, both Ezra (the priest) and Nehemiah (the governor) appointed a day for "gladness and thanksgiving" to be set aside for the dedication of the wall. (Read in Neh. 12:27)
About 2300 years ago another leader by the name of George Washington "appointed" another day of "thanksgiving" to be observed on a yearly basis by the citizens of America. Allow me to give you a few excerpts from his proclamation made regarding this observance.
It's in perfect keeping with our forefathers' many statements about the reliance on "the Creator" and His providence in the establishment of our nation that President Washington would say things in his proclamation of 1789 such as these:
That this holiday "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."
He also proclaimed that we should: "Unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country..... and in general, for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us."
He also added that we should: "humbly offer prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of nations." That we should pray for "our national and other transgressions." One prayer that he specified in his proclamation was that "our national government be a blessing to our people by enacting wise, just and constitutional laws...." (AMEN to that)
The last excerpt I'd like to mention from the proclamation establishing our national day of Thanksgiving is this prayer: "That God would grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best." Again, AMEN!
According to the precepts of Christianity set forth in the Gospel, the very nature of a Christian is to be of a spirit of being "grateful." Of being "thankful." One example of that precept can be found in Col. 3:15. It's beyond my comprehension to think of a Christian not being thankful to God for the "temporal prosperities" we receive in our lives. As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, I don't see how an unthankful or ungrateful person could qualify to be a Christian.
I once heard a man ask this question regarding atheists and unbelievers who were celebrating Thanksgiving (and they do) "Exactly who do they thank?" That little question sure engenders a lot of thought, doesn't it?
In a humorous vein, I once read a comment that said "more Americans commit suicide with a fork every year than with any other weapon." Four days from now I'm going to gather with my family and friends around a table that, if past holidays serve as an indicator, will be loaded with various examples of God's bounty. There by my plate will be that most-misused "weapon" so I covet your prayers that I respect its lurking threat and my vulnerability.
Let me close today's thoughts on our observance of Thanksgiving with the words of a little nine year old girl offering the blessing prayer one Thanksgiving Day:
"Heavenly Father, we thank thee for the turkey, the rolls,
the mashed potatoes, the red jiggly stuff and the bread
stuffing even though I don't like it. We ask that you not
let us choke on this food. Amen"
Ron Covey
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