Thanksgiving: Living a Life Filled with Gratitude- What are you Grateful for?
This is the day to give thanks and remember the blessings of the Lord and how God has provided for us. Yes, this is true for all of us as each of us celebrate Thanksgiving with our families and all of those that we love. There is so much that we have to be thankful for in our daily lives that we can forget what took place during the very first “Thanksgiving”. CBN’s Paul Strand shares about the journey of America’s Pilgrims and what took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts when he personally visited the Plymouth Foundation.
When the Pilgrims touched land, the humbling days that would soon ensue would cause anyone to be grateful. “The cruel harsh winter of 1620 killed half of these tough pilgrims.” Repeated miracles allowed these individuals to not only survive but to arrive at a place of celebration and remembrance of what the Lord had brought them through. “Nearly out of food, they were living on a ration of five kernels of corn a day. Most of the mothers perished because they gave their portions to their starving children.”
In the midst of continual hardship and a will to survive, God provided the needed land to begin harvesting and producing a crop. As wisdom for harvesting was provided by a lone Indian who spoke English, they were able to celebrate with their first harvest of food. Before the eating began, there was a time of remembrance of how the Lord had provided for each of them. “Governor Bradford put five kernels of corn on everybody’s plate and asked everybody there to give him five things they were thankful for, that first year in Plymouth; and that’s what we consider our first Thanksgiving.”
All the devil has is lies and deceptions to cause us to be sidetracked from acknowledging and recognizing the many miracles that God has done in our lives. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” In today’s culture, complaining about the newest version or update of technology that somebody DOESN’T have seems to be the accepted practice. In order to be grateful to what God has provided and done in our lives, we must first acknowledge that He exists. Romans 1 details the tragic journeys of the lives of those who decide not to acknowledge God. Celebrating Thanksgiving in this season is wonderful, but we don’t have to stop there; we can choose to live a life of gratitude in the eyes of the Father. Be encouraged as you are challenged in remembrance to the humble beginnings of our nation, reminded of what the Lord has done in your life, and so much more. Also shared in this segment: CBN, Plymouth Rock, penicillin, FDA, grocery stores, abiding, Kid President, and thankfulness. John and Steve shared in this segment. 
