Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Perhaps because it’s all about good food, good fellowship and the realization that, because of the sacrifices of so many people, we live in such a free and wonderful country.

In 1621, settlers of this new land gathered for the first Thanksgiving celebration to express their gratitude to God for His bountiful provisions during the previous year. 

When George Washington became the first President of the United States, he too formally recognized Thanksgiving Day.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday.

I wonder what our forefathers would think of how we celebrate the holiday today?  Many stores are now opening their doors on Thanksgiving.  Many of us are too busy with watching football, or shopping or decorating for Christmas to even really think about the importance and the holiness of Thanksgiving.

It makes me stop and ask you:  Are you grateful for all that God has blessed you with?  Or are you going to instead just focus on your troubles, disappointments, and the pressures of life?

I know that complaining is much easier than being thankful.  The Israelites in the desert, instead of doing a jig in the sand because God had gotten them out of Egypt, started to complain about everything. And God judged them for it.  Why couldn’t they be thankful for their new freedom?

And why can’t we be happy that we have clean water and electricity and food stocked in grocery stores and medicine and plenty of hospitals and roads and libraries and parks and cars and technology?

My prayer for each one of you this Thanksgiving is that you will remember to be thankful.  To pray to your Lord with gratefulness and thanksgiving for all He has done for you and will do for you for now and forever more. 

Manna from Heaven

“O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.  For the Lord is a great God.”  Psalm 95:1-3

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; that my soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.”  Psalm 30: 11-12