Thanksgiving 2010

We all know why this country celebrates Thanksgiving Day. Hopefully all of us, at a young age, learned about the trials, tribulations, and hardships of the pilgrims in "the new world". And hopefully, as adults, we have lived enough of life to remember that trials, tribulations, and hardships can fall on any of us even in this day and time. Most of us know to give thanks everyday but there is something special about putting life on hold and focusing all our attention and effort on spending one day for giving thanks for all God has given to us...all the ways He has blessed us...all He has brought us through....all He does for us....all He is and....and how much He loves us!  “‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.   Leviticus 26:6

After our journey of the last 21/2 years, this Thanksgiving I was just so thankful for the blessing of peace.
The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’s approval. Judges 18:6.   Of late, God has blessed us with an abundance of peace...peace of heart, mind, and body. With the blessing of peace comes the chance to regain strength, to forge ahead, and I imagine that the pilgrims, that first thanksgiving, had the blessing of peace and needed it to regain strength also. “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Job 22:21. They probably didn't worry too much about the things that had caused them concern in the past. By this time in their journey they had learned, by their walk with the Lord, to lay down most of their concerns that they carried (and probably righteously carried) but just had to let go for the sake of their own survival. "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety". Psalm 4:8. When the season of the first thanksgiving came they had been through so much and had to partner with God in a way that they had never before done that I believe they were probably each and every one a changed people. A people blessed with peace...abundant peace! That, I discovered is what I we are this Thanksgiving Day...a people blessed...a changed people....blessed with abundant peace!
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11
Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. Will you raise our hands in thanks to our Almighty who is the giver of ALL things. May we remember to each and every day give him the praise, glory and thanks that he is rightly his!

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