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Scripture Reading:
Psalm 100
Thanksgiving
In New York city October 3rd
1789 a Proclamation was made stating:
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 favour; 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 PUBLICK THANSGIVING and
PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the
many and 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 do recommend and
assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH 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
previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold
mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in
the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree
of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;
-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been
enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety
and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately
instituted; -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we
are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing
useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and
various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in
most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great
Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national
and other transgressions; -- to enable us all, whether in
publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative
duties properly and punctually; to render our National
Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a
Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly
and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all
sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness
unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and
concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion
and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and,
generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal
prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of
New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one
thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. George Washington
This day of Thanksgiving was to be a
day of prayer and thankfulness set aside to remember God. Did
you catch what was said?
Many years before this speech another proclamation was also made
to a people. Psalm 100 declares –
We
can see from these verses that there are two reasons that we
should give God praise and to be thankful.
The
first reason we can see is in verse 3 where we are to know that
the Lord Himself is God, that He made us and not ourselves, and
we are His people.
There is much to be thankful for in this one little verse.
We
must ask ourselves sometimes in life if we do know that the Lord
Himself is God? Often times we live life as if we are God. We
design our days around our own agendas. We may influence others
in the way that we feel they should go. We may even try to be
good to influence our eternal destiny.
But
no the Lord Himself is God. He is the one who keeps all things
held together. We are but children stumbling around in darkness
when our God comes and grabs our hand and lifts us up to guide
us. Once we submit to Him as God and as Lord, He begins to guide
us in our destiny to give Him glory.
Our
thankfulness does not come from our present situations, but our
thankfulness comes from knowing God and who He is and as a
result knowing who we are. We are His people.
Often times we have an image of God as being in a packed room
with thousands of people. In the front of this room we see the
holier people and we are somewhere in the back lost to God but
thankful to be in His presence.
This is not the case! God loves us as individuals. God is such a
huge and awesome God that He knows the number of hair on my
head. How much more does He know me and is intimately acquainted
with me. I am His people. I am thankful that the One who made
the universe knows me and I Him.
The
second reason to be thankful is that He is good, His
lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all
generations.
CS
Lewis talks about the goodness of God in aspects to a Father or
a Grandfather. A good Father may or may not give us what we want
but will always be there in a time of need. A good Father may
tell us to do or not to do something but it is for our benefit
that He is always looking out for.
However what we want is a grandfather that will spoil us and
gives us all that we need. And at the end of the day the
grandfather goes home and we are left with our Father.
God
is a good God even when we don’t understand. He is a good God
who even allows us to ask questions. One question that may be
beneficial besides the question “why” would be “why hasn’t
something bad happened sooner”. We are really so fragile in this
life with all the bacteria we have gotten deathly sick 100 times
over. We could have gotten in wrecks or freak accidents that
could have end our lives.
There is a doctrine called common grace that talks about the
grace that allows us to live somewhat without all that could
possibly going wrong going wrong. We have really been protected
from a lot more than we realize and it is because God’s grace
has been poured out on the world that we do not suffer as much
as there is potential for suffering.
And
for all times that we are alive and able to live another moment
we see that God is good because He is in that moment sustaining
us. And for the eventual end of death we see that God is good
because then we meet Him face to face. At all times God is good.
His
lovingkindness is also a reference to His covenant. This is an
awesome covenant and only one which God was able to bring. We
are faulty humans who can’t live up to God’s standards but God
offered His own Son in our place that we would be able to be in
relationship with Him.
Marriage is a great picture for covenant. Two people as becoming
one. Each able to give into the relationship towards each other.
In
our relationship with God it is different. God gave it all when
Christ came and died for us. All our sins, our wrong-doings no
matter how large or small keep us from pleasing being in
relationship with God. They have to be dealt with before the
relationship can be established. Christ dealt with our sin so we
may be able to be in relationship with Him. Christ is the reason
we are able to have a relationship and covenant with God.
Today I join with George Washington in his call for a day of
Public Thanksgiving and prayer acknowledging with grateful
hearts to a God who has blessed us even without us always
knowing we have been blessed. Today I join the Psalmist who
calls us to shout to God because of His goodness, His Godliness,
His excellence. May we use this day to give Him the thanks that
He deserves. Thank Him for the ability to be in relationship
with Him.
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