Title: I Rejoice in the Lord
I rejoice in the LORD (Hab 3:17-19)
The origin of Thanksgiving is biblically the Feast of Tabernacles in the Old Testament, and historically, it was started by the Puritans in America.
In 1620, the Puritans were dissatisfied with the theology, organization, system, and rituals of the Church of England, and in search of freedom of faith, with the slogan of worship, purity, world mission, and the glory of God, 102 men (78 men and 24 women) boarded the Mayflower.
It departed from England on September 16 and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the eastern United States, on November 21, 65 days later. Because of the long voyage and severe malnutrition, they died on the boat, and when they arrived on land, 53 people died from cold and starvation, leaving only 51 survivors. However, as soon as they arrived without discouragement, with fervent faith and perseverance, they first built a church, built their home, and overcame the cold winter. Winter passed and spring returned. They went out to the weedy fields, set fires, cleared the ground, and planted corn and potatoes. And in the fall of that year, the first crop was harvested. The historical origin of Thanksgiving Day is that the harvest was not abundant, but thanksgiving was held to God. The gratitude of these Puritans made a great America.
When do you give thanks? You should be thankful for everything. The Puritan's gratitude was not conditional. The prophet Habakkuk in today's text is thankful to God like this. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and there are no cattle in the stalls, yet I rejoice in the LORD, and in the God of my salvation.”
<First> Let's give thanks to the Triune God.
Let's give thanks to God the Father, who gave birth to this earth as a child of God, to Jesus the Son who bore the cross for me who died forever, and to God the Holy Spirit, who is alive today and is the shepherd who leads us to heaven. Let's give thanks to God because it is not an accident, but the blessing of the Triune God, who supported our family and children even in the midst of a recession.
The famous British commentator Matthew Henry offered four prayers of thanks when a thief broke and lost everything.
I thank God for keeping me from being stolen so far, thank you for keeping my one and only life safe even though things can be restored, I am grateful that I have taken many things, but there are still things left, and I am thankful that I am not a thief did.
<Second> Let's thank each other!
There are good things and bad things when they accumulate, but above all, when gratitude accumulates, you realize God's grace, overflowing with love, and receive blessings.
A person who is grateful is heaven, but a person who complains is hell. A person who is full of gratitude is a person who is full of faith and is filled with the Holy Spirit, but a person who is full of complaints and dissatisfaction is a person who has fallen into temptation. become possessed by the devil.
It is God's will for us in Jesus to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything.
<Concluding remarks> Today, we hold a Thanksgiving service. Let's give thanks to God!
The farmer was going to give one to God because the cow had two calves, but one day one of them died. You don't know how well the calf I was going to give to God today! Let's give gifts while thinking of our neighbors in need with a happy heart! When the Israelites grow their crops, they do not sweep it up, but set aside some for the poor and needy.