It’s Thanksgiving time, and most Americans are busy preparing for the day. Tragically, Thanksgiving may be better known as a school holiday, family feasting time or even “Black Friday” sales opportunity than the time of God-consciousness originally intended.
Pilgrims set the tone when, after anxious months of hunger, disease and death wiping out 40% of the colony, they held a time of gratitude for God’s fellowship and provision.
Years later, General George Washington, as Supreme Commander of the American military during the Revolutionary War, established a day of thanksgiving for the colonies’ victory in military conflict. In 1789, President Washington designated a day of national thanksgiving, exhorting his fellow citizens of the new nation.
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 favour; 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 PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and 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 TWENTY-SIXTH 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 previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
Other proclamations would follow from President Abraham Lincoln and succeeding presidents. Nearly all end with the phrase “in the year of our Lord...” meaning the year was counted from the birth of Jesus Christ.
Centuries before, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Hebrews 13:15 suggests Thanksgiving is to be every day, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
Happily, Barack Obama has followed honorably in the presidential tradition by issuing the 2010 Thanksgiving Proclamation. It reads in part:
In confronting the challenges of our day, we must draw strength from the resolve of previous generations who faced their own struggles and take comfort in knowing a brighter day has always dawned on our great land. As we stand at the close of one year and look to the promise of the next, we lift up our hearts in gratitude to God for our many blessings, for one another, and for our Nation. This Thanksgiving Day, we remember that the freedoms and security we enjoy as Americans are protected by the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. These patriots are willing to lay down their lives in our defense, and they and their families deserve our profound gratitude for their service and sacrifice. …
As Americans gather for the time-honored Thanksgiving Day meal, let us rejoice in the abundance that graces our tables, in the simple gifts that mark our days, in the loved ones who enrich our lives, and in the gifts of a gracious God. Let us recall that our forebears met their challenges with hope and an unfailing spirit, and let us resolve to do the same.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2010, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to come together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
My favorite Thanksgiving story was shared with me by Anne Palmer, whose minister father wrote a touching song in 1927.
As a 12- year old, she sat at the supper table in a parsonage in western New York State as her father shared that the coal bill was due and they needed $100 to pay it, but there was no money. Right then the doorbell rang, and there stood a woman who asked whether the man opening the door was A.A. Luther. Hearing that he was, she said, “I have come by bus from Detroit, Michigan to fulfill my mother’s desire. She was much blessed by the song ‘Jesus Never Fails’ and told me that if Mr. Luther was alive when she died, I was to find him and deliver a $100 check.”
The woman declined Arthur Luther’s invitation to come in saying she had to go immediately cross town and catch the bus back to Detroit. Luther rejoined his family at the supper table, and they had a thanks and praise service like you can’t imagine. Anne told me that event stayed with her all her life teaching her the truth of Phil 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Jesus Never Fails
Earthly friends may prove untrue,
Doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you;
One who will not fail.
Tho’ the sky be dark and drear,
Fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember He is near,
And He will not fail.
In life's dark and bitter hour,
Love will still prevail;
Trust His everlasting pow’r,
Jesus will not fail.
Chorus:
Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails,
Heav’n and earth may pass away,
But Jesus never fails.
The Lord in presidential proclamations from George Washington to Barack Obama is the same Lord who told Arthur Luther and all of us through Philippians 4:19 that Jesus never fails!
Happy thanksgiving to you and your family as we express gratitude for the Lord’s unsearchable riches.
Dave Virkler
(Anne tells her story on the November 28 broadcast of The Word And The World, in which we highlight the stories of Thanksgiving hymns. Check our website for a radio station near you, or listen to it on our website as of 11/29.)
Pilgrims set the tone when, after anxious months of hunger, disease and death wiping out 40% of the colony, they held a time of gratitude for God’s fellowship and provision.
Years later, General George Washington, as Supreme Commander of the American military during the Revolutionary War, established a day of thanksgiving for the colonies’ victory in military conflict. In 1789, President Washington designated a day of national thanksgiving, exhorting his fellow citizens of the new nation.
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 favour; 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 PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and 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 TWENTY-SIXTH 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 previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
Other proclamations would follow from President Abraham Lincoln and succeeding presidents. Nearly all end with the phrase “in the year of our Lord...” meaning the year was counted from the birth of Jesus Christ.
Centuries before, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Hebrews 13:15 suggests Thanksgiving is to be every day, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
Happily, Barack Obama has followed honorably in the presidential tradition by issuing the 2010 Thanksgiving Proclamation. It reads in part:
In confronting the challenges of our day, we must draw strength from the resolve of previous generations who faced their own struggles and take comfort in knowing a brighter day has always dawned on our great land. As we stand at the close of one year and look to the promise of the next, we lift up our hearts in gratitude to God for our many blessings, for one another, and for our Nation. This Thanksgiving Day, we remember that the freedoms and security we enjoy as Americans are protected by the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. These patriots are willing to lay down their lives in our defense, and they and their families deserve our profound gratitude for their service and sacrifice. …
As Americans gather for the time-honored Thanksgiving Day meal, let us rejoice in the abundance that graces our tables, in the simple gifts that mark our days, in the loved ones who enrich our lives, and in the gifts of a gracious God. Let us recall that our forebears met their challenges with hope and an unfailing spirit, and let us resolve to do the same.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2010, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to come together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
My favorite Thanksgiving story was shared with me by Anne Palmer, whose minister father wrote a touching song in 1927.
As a 12- year old, she sat at the supper table in a parsonage in western New York State as her father shared that the coal bill was due and they needed $100 to pay it, but there was no money. Right then the doorbell rang, and there stood a woman who asked whether the man opening the door was A.A. Luther. Hearing that he was, she said, “I have come by bus from Detroit, Michigan to fulfill my mother’s desire. She was much blessed by the song ‘Jesus Never Fails’ and told me that if Mr. Luther was alive when she died, I was to find him and deliver a $100 check.”
The woman declined Arthur Luther’s invitation to come in saying she had to go immediately cross town and catch the bus back to Detroit. Luther rejoined his family at the supper table, and they had a thanks and praise service like you can’t imagine. Anne told me that event stayed with her all her life teaching her the truth of Phil 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Jesus Never Fails
Earthly friends may prove untrue,
Doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you;
One who will not fail.
Tho’ the sky be dark and drear,
Fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember He is near,
And He will not fail.
In life's dark and bitter hour,
Love will still prevail;
Trust His everlasting pow’r,
Jesus will not fail.
Chorus:
Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails,
Heav’n and earth may pass away,
But Jesus never fails.
The Lord in presidential proclamations from George Washington to Barack Obama is the same Lord who told Arthur Luther and all of us through Philippians 4:19 that Jesus never fails!
Happy thanksgiving to you and your family as we express gratitude for the Lord’s unsearchable riches.
Dave Virkler
(Anne tells her story on the November 28 broadcast of The Word And The World, in which we highlight the stories of Thanksgiving hymns. Check our website for a radio station near you, or listen to it on our website as of 11/29.)
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