“O taste and see that the Lord is good…”

Psalm 34:8

I had a professor in college who used to say, “God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good.”

That statement is so very true, and I always have a lot to thank God for at Thanksgiving.  This year, though, I feel particularly overwhelmed as I think of everything that God has done for us in this past year.  Ben and I were making a list and these are just a few of the things that are on it…

• God’s leading and direction to New York City
• An apartment with Christian landlords
• A washing machine in the apartment
• The offering from our church in Va. Beach, and gifts from friends to help with moving expenses
• Lots of people (family and church members) to help us move in
• A job within two weeks of moving here
• The successful launch of our home business
• Health
• A new computer
• A new baby on the way
• A love gift from Ben’s church
• A new stroller
• Our church and the spiritual growth we have had since moving here
• Clothes and shoes for Elaine from ladies at church

Ben gave a recitation at church last evening regarding Thanksgiving.  The decision to set aside a day for prayer and Thanksgiving was the first one made by the Framers after the completion of the Bill of Rights. 

Mr. [Elias] Boudinot said he could not think of letting the session pass without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining with one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings He had poured down upon them. With this view, therefore, he would move the following resolution:

“Resolved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer. . . .”

Mr. Roger Sherman justified the practice of thanksgiving on any single event not only as a laudable one in itself but also as warranted by a number of precedents in Holy Writ. . . . This example he thought worthy of a Christian imitation on the present occasion.

That congressional resolution was delivered to President George Washington, who heartily concurred with the request and issued the first federal Thanksgiving proclamation, declaring in part:

“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 favor. . . . Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.”

Happy Thanksgiving.  May you enjoy a blessed day as a you remember the goodness of God, and then give Him thanks for it.