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A Glory Seed Devotional
Thanksgiving is a day set aside for God…
In today’s world it seems as if the things we have to be thankful for are getting harder to get a handle on. And I suspect in some households Thanksgiving Day has been reduced to the day before Black Friday. Yet near every persons heart this Thanksgiving whether they are aware or not God has poised the Holy Spirit waiting for the invitation to turn a heart of stone into a heart of flesh.
Perhaps one of the difficulties some face about thankful has to do with pride because to be thankful is to admit dependency. Steve McVey writes in his book A Divine Invitation. “The ongoing awareness of His indwelling life in us isn’t a legalistic discipline that we grit our teeth and determine to practice. It is an underlying state of abiding in Christ at all times. To abide in Him is to assume a continuous posture of total dependence on Christ as the source of our life at every moment and in every situation. It is the default setting of one who is living out of the union he shares with God through Jesus Christ.” (A Divine Invitation, Kindle Edition)
It wasn’t just the 1st Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621 the Pilgrims celebrated Peter Marshall and David Manuel writing about the 2nd Thanksgiving wrote in their book The Light and the Glory.
“At their lowest point, the Pilgrims were reduced to a daily ration of 5 kernels of corn apiece. In utter desperation they fell to their knees and prayed for 8 hours without ceasing. Again God heard their supplications: 14 days of rain followed. A second Day of Thanksgiving was declared. The neighboring Indian chief was again their honored guest; He brought with him 120 braves. The pilgrims feasted on game and turkey as they had during the previous celebration, only this time one dish was different. The first course, served on an empty plate in front of each person, consisted of 5 kernels of corn, a gentle reminder of God’s faithful provision for them.”
I can’t help but wonder as the Pilgrims and their guests looked at the 5 kernels of corn on their plates if William Bradford quoted these verses from Psalms 28 in his prayer. “I praise you, LORD, for answering my prayers. You are my strong shield, and I trust you completely. You have helped me, and I will celebrate and thank you in song. You give strength to your people, LORD, and you save and protect your chosen ones. Come save us and bless us. Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms.” (Psalms 28:6-9 CEV)
There can be little doubt as to the dependency of the Pilgrims nor can there be any doubt about God’s dependability. We may never get the point where all we have on our plates (life) is 5 kernels of corn but that does not negate our dependency of God. "God, I am thankful for you, come save us and bless us. Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms!"
Anticipate! Experience! Believe! Be transformed!
Grace and PEACE, Amen!
Gary
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Jesus said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.” (John 8:12, CEV)
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Scriptures marked CEV, “Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.”