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Tomorrow families across the United States as well as Americans living or visiting in foreign countries all around the world will celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday feast dates back to November 1621, 400 years ago this year, when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag People gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration, an event many regard as America’s “First Thanksgiving.” To whom were they giving thanks? To Almighty God, the Father of Jesus, their Lord and Savior.
For over 2 centuries families, communities, and states chose their individual dates each year upon which to offer their thanks to Almighty God. When we elected our first president, President George Washington, he felt it needful and fitting to place among his first official duties to lead the people of the United States in a national day of thanksgiving to God.
Today our history books in many public schools leave out his 1789 proclamation so let me read the first portion to you.
Presidential Proclamation, October 3, 1789
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 favor-- 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 public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many 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 26th 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 …
Seventy-four years later, on October 3, 1863, in a speech given to a divided United States during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln made another Presidential Proclamation where he officially declared the last Thursday of each November as the official National Day of Thanksgiving for the United States of America.
This long-standing celebration is a time when we in America come together to recognize and to acknowledge Almighty God for the abundant blessings He has poured out on our nation. We are truly a blessed people, and I am
proud to be an American. My hope has not changed, and my faith is not wavering. I pray God will continue to unify and bless us and our children in the years that lie ahead.
Join me right now as we pray for America and thank God for all His many blessings.
Allow me to add a quick little historical note that will serve to support our Thanksgiving message this evening.
As I said earlier, in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of each November as the official National Day of Thanksgiving. It remained set on that day for 75 years. In 1939, at the tail-end of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in efforts to boost our nation’s economy by giving shoppers more shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, moved Thanksgiving Day to the third Thursday of November. This attempt to further commercialize this Holiday Season didn’t bode well with the nation.
After the public backlash and all the complaints made to congressional representatives and the pressure they put on President Roosevelt, he changed his mind. In 1941 he re-set the fourth Thursday of November as the permanent official Thanksgiving holiday and thus it has been since.
Tomorrow’s celebration marks the 400th Anniversaryof our nation showing respect to Almighty by acknowledging our thanks for all He has done and our trust that He will yet bless our land.
This evening we are going to read from a passage of scripture that is very familiar to our Church On The Rock family. During the American Revolutionary Warera, during the Civil War, during the Great Depression, and today in the wake of the national division and the unrest around our country, it has always been and is still our best decision to turn to the Word of God for comfort, faith, and for direction.
God wants us to have peace in our nation, with our families, and in our hearts.
Tonight we will be reading from the New Testament book of Philippians, chapter 4. It is God’s hope that we will find Peace in Our Time.
Philippians 4 NLT
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Our hope is not in the US dollar, our hope is in God. Our hope is not in our job, our hope is in God. Our hope is not in our national leaders, our hope is in God. He has never and will never fail us, forsake us, or forget us. God is the source of all life and peace.
Don’t worry about anything … pray about everything. Tell God what you need and be thankful for all He has done. Then …
Then you will experience God’s peace. A peace that exceeds anything you can understand. His peace will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Together, we can have peace in our times.
