Ps.108:3,4 – I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.

The world has changed in my lifetime, even things that were so certain and apparently unshakeable have come into question. I am talking today specifically about Thanksgiving and the attack on the founding and history of America. As children we were taught about the Pilgrims and the Native Americans who celebrated together with a great feast for three days in the fall of 1621. More recently that history has been questioned so I thought I would turn to the only eye witness, someone who was actually present at that first Thanksgiving, who wrote about that day rather than the hearsay of all the self appointed experts. His name was Edward Winslow, a Separatist or Puritan who moved to Holland to be part of a Separatist community. He returned to England and sailed to America in 1620 with 102 other Christians on the Mayflower who were leaving England because of religious persecution looking for a land so that they could worship the Lord the way they believed. Between the travel across the Atlantic and that first brutal winter in Massachusetts 50 of the Pilgrims died, by the grace of God 52 Pilgrims survived. The Native Americans had also suffered greatly, from 1617-1619 ninety percent of their population in New England had perished in a catastrophic epidemic. That fall of 1621 both groups had a reason to celebrate, there had been an unusual plentiful harvest that year and they were all thankful. Those situations provided the atmosphere for the first Thanksgiving. The locals and the Puritans came together for a three day feast. Here is how Edward Winslow described it.

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

We all know our nation has had its problems but there was apparently a divine destiny for America. These Puritans believed they were a city on a hill in the New World and they paved the way for our great nation. In 2023 we also have plenty to be thankful for, God’s hand is still on our land. I am thankful for all the Lord has done in our great country and expect another Great Awakening in the days ahead. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.