Title: Let's restore the faith of thanksgiving!
Contents
Many people think of the origin of Thanksgiving as the beginning of Thanksgiving when the Puritans who first immigrated to the United States kept Thanksgiving in gratitude for God's grace. But according to the Bible, Exodus 23:14 you shall observe the feast every year. You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, as I commanded you, for in that month you came out of Egypt, and you shall not show me empty-handed. . 16. Celebrate the Feast of Harvest, because you reap the firstfruits of what you sowed in the field. Keep the Feast of Ingathering, because you gather and store what you have worked for in the field at the end of the year. All your males must appear to the Lord GOD three times a year.
Deuteronomy 16:13 After you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and the winepress, you shall observe the feast of First Bread for seven days. When you observe the feast, you and your children and your slaves and the Levites who live in your city, the strangers, the widows and the orphans, shall keep in touch. You shall observe the feasts before the LORD your God seven days in the place the LORD your God chooses, and you shall rejoice completely because the LORD your God will bless you in all your goods and in all that you put your hands on.
Deuteronomy 16:16 Every male among you, on the third day of the year, on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Tabernacles, shall be shown to the Lord in the place chosen by the Lord your God, but not to the Lord in public; will give you
In this way, God gave thanks to God for the love and grace he had bestowed upon the chosen people until the children of God who were saved from Egypt thank God for His saving grace, and were always with them until they harvested their crops, harvested and buried their crops for a year. The feast ordered to be observed for the sake of glory can be seen as the beginning of Thanksgiving. The command that the people of Israel to keep the three great feasts, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles, was not to give thanks for the simple grace of salvation and everything that they received through life, but rather to keep those feasts and continue to live in God's love and grace in the future. He wanted God's people to love them especially and commanded them to keep the three great feasts for the rest of their lives and so that their children and grandchildren could receive and enjoy God's grace and blessings of salvation.
However, the 65-day voyage, which was conducted in a lack of food and water, was not only difficult, but life in the new continent, which made them dream of living, was not as good as they thought. Because it was winter when the Puritans arrived in the New World, 44 out of 102 died in the first winter due to severe food shortages, cold, climate differences and malnutrition. did. It was the good-hearted Indians who helped them who were in great pain at that time. The Native Americans of this continent, the Indians, brought corn and other grains to the puritan who were in need, and taught them how to farm. With their help, the next year, 1621, the Puritans were able to reap a bountiful harvest. In response, the Puritans invited kind Indians to eat the harvested grain and turkey together, and had a happy first Thanksgiving in the New World.
Today's text tells us that David, who rose from a humble shepherd to the throne of Israel, had a lot of difficulties in his life. However, he always walked with God in the midst of many difficulties, and he thanked God. Then, let's take a look at how David gave thanks to God through Psalm 23, David's representative poet.
① Recalling the memories of the past and giving thanks (verses 1 and 2) - People easily forget the help they received in a difficult moment after that moment. But David did not forget. He always remembered and thanked God for being with him and helping him in his most difficult moments.
② I thanked him for accompanying me even now (verses 3 and 4) - I knew that the God who was with him in the past and guided him is also with him now. Therefore, I was grateful to know that he will lead and give victory in all things now.
③ He looked at the hope of the future and was thankful (verse 6) - David also knew that God, who had always helped and protected him in the past and present, will guide him and eventually lead him to heaven. So David hoped for the glory he would enjoy there and thanked God.
The saints in the Lord are also being led by the Lord like David. Also, our members have the same hope for the future. Let's express our gratitude to the Lord for gently guiding us in our daily lives, and let's become saints who always live happily with the hope of eternal heaven.