In 1789, President George Washington gave a Thanksgiving Proclamation, assigning a day “devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of 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.”
Thanksgiving is an opportunity to look past the turmoil that surrounds us and thank God for the abundance of blessings He’s shown our nation. The world we see through the media is dark and sinful, but we cannot forget that a mere sliver of God’s light outshines all the darkness in the world, and we can still see God’s light in abundance. Despite all of the unrest in our country, we should be immensely grateful to live in this uniquely exceptional nation where we still get to stand up for what we believe in and serve God freely.
While we live in a deeply divided nation, we must remember that conflict is nothing new, and our Lord came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). In the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared in 1863 that the fourth Thursday of every November would mark an official U.S. holiday called Thanksgiving. At the time, disagreement had turned to violence in a very divided nation, as it has today. Despite the chaos that surrounded them, Lincoln echoed Washington and called for “the whole American people” to “solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledge as with one heart and one voice” all that the nation had been blessed with. Lincoln noted that after years of conflict, order had been maintained, the laws had been respected, and peace among nations had been preserved. All of these things are still true today, and are only possible through God. The protective hand of God over our nation is as evident today as it’s ever been. As Lincoln demonstrated, even in the midst of war, we have so much to be grateful for.
In his Thanksgiving Proclamation, Washington declared that we may thank God “for his protection of the People of this Country…for the signal and manifold mercies…for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed…for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed…and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.”
Over 200 years later, God has continued to bless us with each of these things. In addition to thanking God through our prayers and supplications, now is also the time to “beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions.” The Lord wants to show us tremendous mercy, but we must continue to ask for it.
As we pause and reflect on all that He has given us, let us also pray for continued protection, courage, and wisdom in the fight for the Truth of Christ Jesus!
Throughout the challenges we have faced this past year, we are enormously grateful for the commitment that our supporters have shown to FPIW.
We thank God for those who continue boldly defending family, life, faith, and freedom in the public square and we are eternally grateful to serve beside those called to seek and defend His glory in Jesus’s name.
Have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving.
