Psalm 28:6-8 (ESV)
6 Blessed be the Lord!
For he has heard
the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart
trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song
I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving
refuge of his anointed.
The Civil War was at its height when President Lincoln
declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. On October 3, 1863, amidst 50,000
fallen soldiers, destroyed battlegrounds, and an entire population at odds with
each other.
Recently, the United States has endured several tragedies:
hurricanes, large-scale fires, mass shootings, a heroin epidemic, terrorism.
Perhaps this year you are struggling to find something to
be thankful for. Or maybe this season has always been difficult for you.
A brutal war had torn America apart when Thanksgiving was
declared, just after the battle of Gettysburg had just been won. A battle that
changed the course of American history, paving the way for freedom and
democracy.
Has God ever called you to give thanks during a season of
conflict and turmoil?
Dear Lord, help us
to practice gratitude in such seasons of our life no matter how bad things
look. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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