I know what it is to be in need, and I know
what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any
and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in
want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil 4:10-13
The story of the Pilgrims began in England in 1609 in a
little church in Weymouth, England under a pastor names Rev. William
Brewster. They believed that England had
become so corrupt that believers should withdraw and start the their own
society. Brewster and his followers moved to Leyden, Holland, where they could
practice their religion freely.
Unfortunately, Holland did not welcome them. They were not allowed to own property or
practice a trade unless they were members of the Dutch Reformed church. So
Brewster and his flock decided to move to the New World. A group of businessmen agreed to sponsor
their trip if they were to grow crops
and give half of their crops. They
reluctantly agreed.
The little
church pooled their money and bought a ship for the journey. It the Speedwell--a leaky boat barely able to stay afloat.
But they loaded their belongings on board and started for America. Their
own pastor was afraid of it and refused to go.
The Speedwell
did not make it past England before it sank, so their backers hired
another ship--the Dutch merchant ship named the Mayflower.
41 Pilgrims along with 61 settlers and sailors left on a three month voyage to
the New World.
The
Pilgrims had believed God in God's providence, but so far that belief had not
worked for them. Every time they did what God wanted, they wound up in a worse
mess than before.
When the Mayflower arrived, small pox had wiped out
eighty percent of the Indian population. They planted the same crops that were
grown in earlier colonies in Virginia and Carolina--tobacco, sugar, and indigo.
None of them grow in Massachusetts.
That winter was the hardest on record. Over half of the pilgrims died
the first winter of cold and starvation.
Then one
day in the spring, a nearly naked Indian walked calmly into the camp and
addressed them in perfect English! His was Samoset. Later, he returned with Squanto, who was the
interpreter for the chief or the Massasoits.
They showed the Pilgrims how to plant crops that would grow in New
England, and survive the harsh New England winters.
The next
Fall, the Indians arrived unannounced for dinner. There were about forty
colonists and about a hundred and fifty Indians. here were no turkeys, but
plenty of wild game. The Indians ate them out of supplies, and if it were not for Massasoit
bringing wild game, they might have starved.
Was this
the first Thanksgiving? No, the Pilgrims thanked God every day, even while
dying of cold and starvation! In spite of all their disasters, they never
stopped giving thanks. Everything that
could go wrong did go wrong, and yet they gave thanks at every occasion.
Being
blessed is not about our circumstances. It comes from our reaction to
circumstances. It is not an absence of
trouble, but an absence of cares in our trouble. We may be down, but God is still the same God
and He still is in control.
In
Philippians 4"13 Paul says--:I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.
Faith
isn't a magic word that makes our problems go away. It is a promise of supernatural contentment
in the midst of trouble. Faith does not take us out of the world, but gives us
contentment in it.
The
Pilgrims survived and grew. Their
descendants became leaders in New England and later the country. In spite of their rough start, Jesus gave
them the strength to endure.
When
we give thanks to God, we recognize that
He is in control. The Pilgrims knew this,
that’s why we celebrate them today.
Paul knew
this, too. That’s why he is called St. Paul.
God’s grace in Christ will help us to endure the worst of circumstances,
and give us contentment in the best as well.
Prayer
"Father
in the midst of the troubles of this day, help me to give thanks that You are
still in control. Let my thanksgiving not be just for what I have been given,
but for the fact that above all and through all You have been with me. In
Jesus' name, Amen/"
