Psalm 100 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;  give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;  his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Oct 3, 1863 was the year President Abraham Lincoln issued the 106th Proclamation to the United States. Basically it states that all Americans far and wide should observe Thanksgiving Day on the 4th Thursday of every November  as an official National Holiday.  Lincoln began as follows:

“The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.”

What is colossal about this is that it was written at the height of the Civil War.  An ugly, divided war of conflict within our country between two sides, with differing economic, governmental, moral objectives so much so it took the lives of over 130,000 persons.  Highlight the word “insensible”!  However, what is to be admired and honed in on is that he first mentions blessings not war, bounties not policy, healthfulness not strife.  In our country today we are still engaged in divided ideologies -whether politically,  religiously, ethically or so forth.  Yet Lincoln concluded with a united recommendation, appealing US to be focused,  “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”

Like Psalm 100 which embodies a harmonic call for the earth to lift all praises in joyful thanksgiving .  We have opportunity to worship him just because he is Lord and we are his one people.  It is of first importance,  first that needs to be recalled, and first that needs to be proclaimed.

Concern(C):  Sister, are you habitually experiencing conflict with others or within yourself  while the ever watchful providence of God is clearly present by your blessings?

Encouragement (E):  Confirm you are made by God with the capacity and ability of  being still and thankful always.  When you get that the Lord is God you are brought into an awareness that despite all prospects he is completely omniscient and omnipresent.  He is the Good Shepherd he cannot help but to watch over you.  For that  reason go ahead and claim his peace, stay in his pasture.  His love is everlasting and His faithfulness forever after.  I am so thankful for Him! The Devil has no seat on His throne.

Act (A):  Reflect on your list of all the things you are thankful for.  This Thanksgiving and every day.  Thanks and Giving are two separate and powerfully serviceable words with effect!  In fact, it is the very thing you are commanded to do whether you are sitting around the table with family or surrounded in a circle by your enemies.  Sister, let us not study war no more.  Hope you have a Full Enjoyment of Thanks giving.