Psalm 100:4 (ESV)
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts
with praise!
Give thanks to
him; bless his name!
Most of you know the story an Indian named Squanto and
his first thanksgiving celebration with the Pilgrims. However, you might not
know that over a decade before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, English
traders were trading with the Indians throughout the region. Squanto’s amazing
story really originated then.
An Englishman named Captain Hunter had kidnapped several
Indians and sold them into slavery, one of whom was Squanto, sold into slavery
in Malaga, Spain. There, Squanto was bought by a Spanish monk, who treated him
well, freed him from slavery, and taught him about Christianity. Eventually,
Squanto made it back to England, and worked in the stables of a man named John
Slaney. It was there that Squanto learned English.
Upon Squanto’s return home in 1618, he learned that his
tribe had been wiped out from an epidemic, probably smallpox brought by early
English colonists. As you might imagine, he was devastated and couldn’t
understand how God could allow this to happen.
Shortly afterward, a friend named Samoset introduced him
to the Pilgrims. Because of Squanto’s history and understanding of English,
Squanto was able to communicate with them. He also taught them how to survive
there, how to fish, hunt, and how to plant corn. As a result, Governor William
Bradford asked him to serve as his ambassador to the Indian tribes. Bradford
accredited Squanto for the survival of the Pilgrim colony and saw that without
God's providential hand in providing Squanto -- the colony would not have
survived.
If you think about the story of Squanto, it can remind us
of the story of Joseph and the providence of God, even in the worst of
situations. Joseph was sold into slavery, thrown into prison, accused and
abused…. but all of these things were worked out for the purpose of saving the
Jewish people. The story of the survival of the Plymouth colony rested on an
Indian who was kidnapped, sold into slavery, returned home to see his tribe
wiped out, and yet through these events was used by God to preserve the
Pilgrims who came to America with this purpose, "for the glory of God, and
advancement of the Christian faith". (Mayflower Compact, November 11,
1620)
We have so much to be thankful for even despite the tough
times in which we live. While times are
hard, we’re thankful to be alive for such a time as this! So we’re entering His
gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise today, knowing that our God
is providentially in control of everything that is going on around us.
Dear Lord, we want to be thankful for the many things
that we have. Help us not focus on the negative things but look to the positive.
In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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