There’s the story of the Pilgrims who set sail for America on September 6, 1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements of a storm-tossed sea. Upon disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they held a prayer service and then hastily began building shelters; however, unprepared for such a harsh New England winter, nearly half of them died before spring. Emerging from that grueling winter, the Pilgrims were surprised when an Indian named Samoset approached them and greeted them in their own language, explaining to them that he had learned English from fishermen and traders. A week later, Samoset returned with a friend named Squanto, who lived with the Pilgrims and accepted their Christian faith. Squanto taught the Pilgrims much about how to live in the New World, and he and Samoset helped forge a long-lasting peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford described Squanto as “a special instrument sent of God for [our] good . . . and never left [us] till he died.”
That summer, the Pilgrims, still persevering in prayer and assisted by helpful Indians, reaped a bountiful harvest. As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (later to become the Governor) affirmed, “God be praised, we had a good increase of corn”; “by the goodness of God, we are far from want.” The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends – America’s first Thanksgiving Festival. Ninety Wampanoag Indians joined the fifty Pilgrims for three days of feasting (which included shellfish, lobsters, turkey, corn bread, berries, deer, and other foods), of play (the young Pilgrim and Wampanoag men engaged in races, wrestling matches, and athletic events), and of prayer. This celebration and its accompanying activities were the origin of the holiday that Americans now celebrate each November.
When I read this story I cannot but be taken aback by the sheer terror of what these people faced during that long first winter in the new world. Yet, even after whole families died in the previous year, the people of God gave thanks. What could give them a thankful heart after the year they had just experienced?
Psalm 107, verses 1 through 8 tell us, “1O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 4They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. 7And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
The sacred texts tell us that we are to give thanks unto God . . . Why? Because He is good. Jesus explained to a rich young ruler one day that “there is none good, but one, that is, God.” None of us are good as Scripture explains so clearly in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” If God is good and we are not than what’s the point? What hope do we have? Our hope is in His mercy that endures forever. Not one of us could stand before God and say, “I demand justice!” and expect to be allowed into the presence of His throne room. Yet, because of His gentle mercy, we are welcomed into His presence. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins to pay a debt we couldn’t pay for sin He never committed. If we believe that then why are we not yelling it from the house tops?
Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” If you believe that Jesus died on a cross for your sins, was buried and rose again on the third day, confessed that He did that with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead . . . then you are one of the redeemed! And being one of the redeemed, you now know of Him redeeming you from the hand of the enemy!
As a child of the living God, I know I have a history. There was a time before I confessed Jesus as my LORD and Saviour that the devil was my father and the God of heaven and earth was just a pie in the sky idea to me. But one day, I confessed Him as my LORD and the gates of hell did not prevail against the faith I had in Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God. The very foundation of His church is that Jesus is the Christ, the very Son of the living God; and if we believe that we can be and will be thankful through anything. Acts 4:12 states, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day together let us remember the sacrifice our LORD gave for us and give thanks to the creator of heaven and earth, the One by whom all things consist, the true and living God. His name is Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. His name is Jesus. “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”