You would think that, in the middle of a war that was tearing the very fabric of a nation, causing brother to fight against brother, the most logical thing for the leader of that nation to do would be to declare a national day of fasting, prayer, and repentance in pursuit of peace. The logic seems straightforward – in a time of war, we need people to lay down arms and end the violence. But that is now what Abraham Lincoln called for in 1863, as the Civil War devastated our still-young country.
Lincoln, in an act inspired by his deeply held faith, recognized the need for the American people to look beyond the suffering and hardships imposed by the war, to see how the hand of God continued to extend blessings and mercies to the people of this nation. The president was quick to acknowledge that a significant portion of those blessings had been squandered in pursuit of military conquest, but that didn’t diminish the fact that God could have rightfully withheld blessings in the form of drought, plagues, and pestilence – yet He did not. Lincoln desired that all Americans, regardless of which side of the battle they were on, could see that God was good and worthy to be praised, for our nation was indeed established for the purpose of being a bright shining light on the hill.
Ultimately, Lincoln was calling for the people of this nation not to pray for peace, but rather to recognize the goodness and mercy of the Prince of Peace. Not to settle for the temporary nature of the cessation of hostilities, but to strive for an eternal life in harmony with God. And while Lincoln was calling for the citizens of this nation to be mindful of all that we should be grateful for, what he was calling for was a day when we focused on giving thanks to the Most High God as the provider of our blessings.
In many homes today, as families and friends gather around a table to share in a feast, a common tradition for many will be to go around the table and mention something that you are grateful for. I certainly want to encourage you to do that, because if you are able to read this note today, you have much to be grateful for even if you aren’t going to be stuffing yourself with delicious holiday foods. However, as Lincoln did in 1863, I ask you to recognize that behind everything that you have to be grateful for is a God who made it possible, and the more our hearts are inclined to Him, the more likely we are to love our neighbors as Christ loved us – even those we may be fighting with.
So today, don’t simply be grateful. Lift your eyes up to the One who sits upon the throne and give Him thanks with all of your heart. After all, today is Thanksgiving!
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron