Give Thanks!

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Ps 107:8-9

Thanksgiving is here, a day when we eat, fellowship, sleep, and maybe watch football! But is there more to the holiday than just eating turkey?

The first Thanksgiving is taught as a "harvest festival" at Plymouth, in 1621. In this time of "religious eradication", there is a sense of trying to distance the event from any religious significance. But actually, the first thanksgiving occurred two years earlier...

Two years before the Pilgrims on December 4, 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation in what is now Charles City, Virginia. The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.

Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. Here is the section of the Charter of Berkeley Plantation which specifies the thanksgiving service:

"We ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty god."

Now, I feel we should be careful that we don't become possessive and 'stake our claim' on the day, as the bible teaches us "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind."

And yet we as Christians can make the day a day that we observe "to the Lord" (He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord Rom 14:5-6 NKJV).

We can take this day that the Lord has given us, a day when we take off from work, invite family and friends over, and fellowship over food, and truly "give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness"

Let the Lord satisfy your longing soul, and fill your soul with goodness!

May the Lord bless you all, and "Happy Thanksgiving... in the Lord!"

Pastor Clay