Today in America, we celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a day that was established as a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The first government issued proclamation of Thanksgiving was given years earlier by George Washington, in the year 1789. The official day has been celebrated since 1863, all these years, Americans have been eating turkey and setting aside a day to be thankful for God’s blessing in their lives. The earliest observance of Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It was a celebration of harvest that lasted 3 days, and in spite of a first year in the New World that began with a difficult journey on the Mayflower, a dreaded cold winter, a very large number of deaths, and a very mediocre first harvest, the pilgrims were thankful that they survived, and celebrated with great enthusiasm.
Most of us have a thankful heart when everything is going well. We rejoice when we get an answer we’ve been waiting for, a job promotion, a breakthrough in our finances, a relationship restored, an improvement in our health, or when we hear some kind of good news. What is interesting about the first Thanksgiving story is that circumstances were far below wonderful, yet the pilgrims were thankful, just to have religious freedom and for life itself.
Discontentment is a prevalent emotion in our world today. With the government, with our physical bodies, with our finances, with our families and relationships, it is always easier to point out problems or difficulties rather than God’s provision in the midst of them. What Paul emphasizes in Philippians chapter 4, is that our contentment and level of thanksgiving should not be based on circumstances. When we get a true understanding of how blessed we are, our focus on the things of earth will grow strangely dim. Our vision can be on what it should be, and that is in the midst of any setback that comes our way, God is at work on our behalf, for our comeback. Phil 4:11-13 says that Paul had experienced both plenty and want, but had learned the secret of contentment no matter what happens. In any and every circumstance, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The Word has taught us to use our faith, and because of the promises of God and the prayer of faith, things can change. In the midst of whatever we are going through, we can experience joy and contentment and still shine like a light in the dark.
My prayer for you this Thanksgiving, is that you will know true contentment. I pray that the peace of God will guard your heart, and that as you celebrate Thanksgiving, you will be truly thankful…..knowing that God has done great things for you! Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
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