By Marianne Mauti
Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving
Americans celebrate two holidays that are ingrained in the historical tradition of our nation. They are the fourth of July and Thanksgiving. The fourth of July is the celebrates the hallmark of our nations civil independence and freedom, while Thanksgiving was declared a National Holiday that acknowledged our faith in God and His sovereignty over our lives. Today, however, Thanksgiving has become more or less a family tradition that includes parades, football and good food! While there is certainly nothing wrong with the festivities of our modern celebration, it is important that we never forget why our nations leaders thought it was important to set aside a special day to show our gratitude and appreciation to God. The first Thanksgiving celebration took place in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1621 after a small group of pilgrims made a harrowing journey across the Atlantic ocean determined to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! After a hard winter of sickness, death and almost certain starvation God miraculously provided for them! Because of their love and appreciation the survivors gathered to acknowledge and celebrate God's provision. There is probably no American historical account that is as compelling and illuminating, than the journey of those early Christian Pilgrims, who had the courage to fulfill their divine purpose. Their great sacrifice is at the foundation of many of our present blessings!
Our Thanksgiving Heritage
The journey to America for the Pilgrims began in their native country of England where the Pilgrims had been suffering growing persecution. As Puritan-Separatists, they held that their differences with the Church of England were irreconcilable and that their worship should be allowed to be independent of the trappings, traditions and organization of the state church. Under the Act of Uniformity 1559, it was illegal to attend any church service other than the official state sanctioned services. Many Pilgrims were heavily fined, jailed and some were even executed for sedition. They eventually decided they had no other recourse but to leave and find a place where they could worship the way they chose to. They finally found the refuge they were looking for in Holland. If they already found a place where they could worship God the way they wanted to, why did they decide to leave and come to America?
Here is what historian author Peter Marshall had to say about the Puritan-Pilgrims: The Puritans had endured vicious religious persecution in England, having been arrested often by the King’s soldiers and imprisoned by sheriffs for sharing their beliefs. Finally, fleeing for their lives to Holland, they settled in the town of Leyden. There they enjoyed religious freedom for 12 years. But, toward the end of this time, it became increasing clear to them that God was calling them to leave Holland and come to America. Consider the fact that, if their motivation had been primarily about religious liberty, they could have stayed where they were. They already had it. But what compelled them was much deeper than that. They weren’t running away from anything when they came to America — they were obeying the call of Christ on their lives!
This is an important distinction to make. Coming to America was going to take great sacrifice and courage. Only a call from God could convince them to do it! He reminds us that they weren't running away from anything to come to America, they were running forward with God's plan! The Pilgrims came to America because they believed God divinely called them to be missionaries to the new colonies, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and plant churches! William Bradford (their Governor and chronicler of their historic adventure), wrote this about them: "They had great hope and inward zeal of laying a good foundation for propagating the gospel of the Kingdom of Christ in those remotes parts of the world; yea, though they should be but even as stepping-stones unto others for the performing of so great a work."
The Pilgrims Miraculous Journey!
These courageous missionaries not only brought the Gospel to America, they helped lay the moral, spiritual and governmental foundation of our nation (read the Mayflower Compact)! What has almost been completely wiped from the pages of history, are the many amazing ways God miraculously intervened, time and time again, on their behalf. In fact, God was laying the groundwork for their success, years before they got there!
On the journey to America they faced life threatening obstacles. After just a few short weeks on the Mayflower the voyage turned nasty. Because of an initial delay in starting their trip, they found themselves sailing into a stormy fall season. Soon the Mayflower was being battered so badly by a storm, that the crew had to tie themselves to the masts with ropes and the 102 men, women and children passengers were ordered below. With people being simultaneously thrown from side to side and violently pitched up and down; with children crying and adults throwing up; with the stench of vomit, animals, and unwashed bodies; and with the sea water leaking through the deck above, the conditions must have been almost unbearable.
Again, here is what Peter Marshall had to say about the account of the voyage: "The passengers tried to cope with their fears as best they could by chanting Psalms from the Bible, which welded the Puritans and others aboard into a praying congregation of desperate Pilgrims. They had good cause to be afraid. In the midst of one terrible storm, there was suddenly a loud crack! One of the large beams that held the mainmast in place had snapped, and now was dangerously sagging. Should that beam give way, the mast would fall and the ship would surely founder, with the loss of all passengers and crew. By the grace of God, the Pilgrims had brought with them a large iron screw, which was found and quickly hoisted into place under the beam. Buttressed with other pieces by the ship’s carpenter, young John Alden, the beam thankfully held. In the midst of yet another storm, John Howland, a young twenty-something indentured servant of the Pilgrims’ first governor, John Carver, found himself unable to take the confinement any longer. He lifted the hatch and stepped out on deck. In seconds the next huge wave washed him overboard, and Howland found himself in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Only minutes away from freezing to death, as he was going under the waves, one of the ropes from the ship’s rigging just “happened” to snake across his wrist. Instinctively, his hand closed on it, and the crew managed to haul him back on board. Just a coincidence? I don’t think so, and neither did the Pilgrims. God’s hand had intervened once again, and John Howland knew it. He became one of the leading elders in the Plymouth colony."
Unbeknownst to them, even before the journey had begun, they brought the exact tools needed to make the repairs and coincidently, the right people on board who knew what do do with them! Many ships during that period of history were lost or destroyed in storms over the ocean. Even more miraculous was the rescue of John Holland. God miraculously guided a rope that found the hand of a future pilgrim leader! As Mr. Marshall put it, "Was this a coincidence?" I don't think so either! God miraculously intervened!
Landing in America
After enduring storms for 44 out of the 66 days voyage, the weak and sick passengers at last saw land on November 9th, 1620. It was Cape Cod. The Pilgrim leadership prayed and decided that God wanted them to stay there and start a separate colony. They went into the perimeter of Cape Cod Bay to find the right place for them to settle. They came ashore at Plymouth to find the ground cleared and recently cultivated, but no Indians were anywhere to be seen. Strangely, the area was littered with human bones, even so, they prayed and believed that God had prepared this place for them, and soon afterward they began construction on a common house for shelter until they could build individual homes.
The weather was getting bad, it was turning turning cold and the rough voyage had left them in an already weakened condition. Soon they were overcome by "wasting diseases." With no effective medication the deaths reached 2 to 3 a day by January. Many accounts say at one point there were only five people well enough to be on their feet caring for the rest. Toward the end of March, when the worst was over, they had lost 47 of their number. Of the 18 wives who had come, 13 had died. Only three families remained unbroken and they were in real trouble, because the food they brought on the Mayflower was almost completely gone. Just as all hope seemed lost, once again God's greatest miracle was on its way!
In March, a lone Indian named Samoset, wearing only in a loincloth, appeared before them and in the english language said: “Welcome, Englishmen!” What a miracle that must have seemed! He had learned some english from fishermen, but his ability to understand was limited so he soon returned bringing a Paxuxet Indian by the name of Squanto. William Bradford had this to say about Squanto, "Squanto was a special instrument sent by God for their good, beyond their expectation." Squanto's story was an account of just how amazing God's provision was!
Squanto's Story
When Squanto arrived, they were amazed at how well he spoke english and understood their culture. They soon learned that Squanto's tribe were the ones who had previously lived in Plymouth, but they had suffered a great plague brought by French fur trappers from the north. Sadly it killed every member of his tribe and this was why the ground was covered with bones. The plague had raced through the tribe so quickly that they didn't even had time to bury all their dead! They learned that Squanto had survived because he was not there at the time. God's intricate plan for their preservation had begun years earlier by assuring that Squanto would survive the plague! In 1605 an English expedition took him captive and sailed for England. This is where he would learn the english language and customs.
Squanto lived in England for 9 years in the home of a merchant named John Slain where he learned the European system and value of trade. He was eventually brought back to America under the command of Captain Joseph Smith, of Jamestown, who had by then gotten into the fishing business. Before Smith returned to Jamestown he ordered one of his captains ,Thomas Hunt along with Squanto, to stay behind and trade for beaver pelts. During that time Captain Hunt decided to embark on a side business of his own and abducted some Indians to sell into the slavery market along with Squanto. They were to be auctioned off in Malaga, a slave trading port on the south coast of Spain.
When it became Squanto’s turn to be sold, a monk from a nearby monastery just “happened” to pass by at that moment. Looking at this forlorn Indian, he took pity on him, bought him, and took him to the monastery. Squanto lived with the monks for about a year. This is where Squanto would come to have a deeper understanding of the Christian faith, one that involved kindness, compassion, devotion and service to God! After a certain amount of time Squanto obtained his freedom and worked his way up through Spain and France until he could cross the English channel and get back to England. He stayed with the English until 1619, when he signed aboard a ship with Captain Dermer who was sailing for America on a fishing expedition to the New England coast. He agreed to take Squanto back to his native land in exchange for his services as a pilot in American waters.
Eventually Squanto was returned to the tip of Cape Cod. He was happy to finally be returning to his people, but when he arrived he found was death and destruction. Imagine the disappointment, despair and pain he felt when he saw that his family, everyone he knew and loved, had all died. Heartbroken, he wandered among the ruins and the bones, eventually making his way 40 miles southwest to the tribal seat of the Wampanoag and Chief Massasoit, who out of compassion for his plight, took him in.
Squanto now a member of the tribe, was there the day Samoset returned from Plymouth to tell them that some new English settlers had decided to live there. He told the tribal elders that the pilgrims were in a very bad way, sick and starving. Squanto was dispatched to investigate the matter. Considering the fact that Squanto's whole family had died from disease one might wonder why he was willing to go. Because Squanto had lived for some time in England eating their food and breathing their air, he developed a level of tolerance to their diseases. Squanto set out with Samoset, bringing some food and supplies with him.
Squanto would eventually teach them how to trap eels in the mud flats of the bay, what berries were edible, what herbs were good for medicine, and how to trap beaver, which would later become a source of income for the Pilgrims. Most important of all, he taught them how to plant corn, and plant it the Indian way — by burying dead fish with the seed, to fertilize the seedlings as they grew. Whether Squanto fully realized it or not, He was God’s instrument for their physical salvation!
God's Divine Plan
Isn't it amazing to see, no matter how difficult the journey or complicated the plan, when God ordains it, He will bring it to pass! Little did the Pilgrims realize when they embarked on the harrowing journey, they would face so many obstacles. Because they believed God, they found their place in our great American Christian Heritage! Below we see just some of the ways God had already intervened on their behalf long before their journey began:
Because Squanto's was taken to England he was spared from the disease that killed all of his people and Squanto eventually learned the english language!
After enduring storms for 44 out of the 66 days voyage, the weak and sick passengers at last saw land on November 9th, 1620. It was Cape Cod. The Pilgrim leadership prayed and decided that God wanted them to stay there and start a separate colony. They went into the perimeter of Cape Cod Bay to find the right place for them to settle. They came ashore at Plymouth to find the ground cleared and recently cultivated, but no Indians were anywhere to be seen. Strangely, the area was littered with human bones, even so, they prayed and believed that God had prepared this place for them, and soon afterward they began construction on a common house for shelter until they could build individual homes.
The weather was getting bad, it was turning turning cold and the rough voyage had left them in an already weakened condition. Soon they were overcome by "wasting diseases." With no effective medication the deaths reached 2 to 3 a day by January. Many accounts say at one point there were only five people well enough to be on their feet caring for the rest. Toward the end of March, when the worst was over, they had lost 47 of their number. Of the 18 wives who had come, 13 had died. Only three families remained unbroken and they were in real trouble, because the food they brought on the Mayflower was almost completely gone. Just as all hope seemed lost, once again God's greatest miracle was on its way!
In March, a lone Indian named Samoset, wearing only in a loincloth, appeared before them and in the english language said: “Welcome, Englishmen!” What a miracle that must have seemed! He had learned some english from fishermen, but his ability to understand was limited so he soon returned bringing a Paxuxet Indian by the name of Squanto. William Bradford had this to say about Squanto, "Squanto was a special instrument sent by God for their good, beyond their expectation." Squanto's story was an account of just how amazing God's provision was!
Squanto's Story
When Squanto arrived, they were amazed at how well he spoke english and understood their culture. They soon learned that Squanto's tribe were the ones who had previously lived in Plymouth, but they had suffered a great plague brought by French fur trappers from the north. Sadly it killed every member of his tribe and this was why the ground was covered with bones. The plague had raced through the tribe so quickly that they didn't even had time to bury all their dead! They learned that Squanto had survived because he was not there at the time. God's intricate plan for their preservation had begun years earlier by assuring that Squanto would survive the plague! In 1605 an English expedition took him captive and sailed for England. This is where he would learn the english language and customs.
Squanto lived in England for 9 years in the home of a merchant named John Slain where he learned the European system and value of trade. He was eventually brought back to America under the command of Captain Joseph Smith, of Jamestown, who had by then gotten into the fishing business. Before Smith returned to Jamestown he ordered one of his captains ,Thomas Hunt along with Squanto, to stay behind and trade for beaver pelts. During that time Captain Hunt decided to embark on a side business of his own and abducted some Indians to sell into the slavery market along with Squanto. They were to be auctioned off in Malaga, a slave trading port on the south coast of Spain.
When it became Squanto’s turn to be sold, a monk from a nearby monastery just “happened” to pass by at that moment. Looking at this forlorn Indian, he took pity on him, bought him, and took him to the monastery. Squanto lived with the monks for about a year. This is where Squanto would come to have a deeper understanding of the Christian faith, one that involved kindness, compassion, devotion and service to God! After a certain amount of time Squanto obtained his freedom and worked his way up through Spain and France until he could cross the English channel and get back to England. He stayed with the English until 1619, when he signed aboard a ship with Captain Dermer who was sailing for America on a fishing expedition to the New England coast. He agreed to take Squanto back to his native land in exchange for his services as a pilot in American waters.
Eventually Squanto was returned to the tip of Cape Cod. He was happy to finally be returning to his people, but when he arrived he found was death and destruction. Imagine the disappointment, despair and pain he felt when he saw that his family, everyone he knew and loved, had all died. Heartbroken, he wandered among the ruins and the bones, eventually making his way 40 miles southwest to the tribal seat of the Wampanoag and Chief Massasoit, who out of compassion for his plight, took him in.
Squanto now a member of the tribe, was there the day Samoset returned from Plymouth to tell them that some new English settlers had decided to live there. He told the tribal elders that the pilgrims were in a very bad way, sick and starving. Squanto was dispatched to investigate the matter. Considering the fact that Squanto's whole family had died from disease one might wonder why he was willing to go. Because Squanto had lived for some time in England eating their food and breathing their air, he developed a level of tolerance to their diseases. Squanto set out with Samoset, bringing some food and supplies with him.
Squanto would eventually teach them how to trap eels in the mud flats of the bay, what berries were edible, what herbs were good for medicine, and how to trap beaver, which would later become a source of income for the Pilgrims. Most important of all, he taught them how to plant corn, and plant it the Indian way — by burying dead fish with the seed, to fertilize the seedlings as they grew. Whether Squanto fully realized it or not, He was God’s instrument for their physical salvation!
God's Divine Plan
Isn't it amazing to see, no matter how difficult the journey or complicated the plan, when God ordains it, He will bring it to pass! Little did the Pilgrims realize when they embarked on the harrowing journey, they would face so many obstacles. Because they believed God, they found their place in our great American Christian Heritage! Below we see just some of the ways God had already intervened on their behalf long before their journey began:
Because Squanto's was taken to England he was spared from the disease that killed all of his people and Squanto eventually learned the english language!
Because Squanto lived in England, he understood English food, customs and ways! He also built up a natural tolerance for Europes diseases!
Because Squanto was sold into slavery, a kind monk bought him and showed him what christian charity and devotion to God's service was!
Because Squanto was from America originally, he could navigate the American waters, which eventually enabled him in God's perfect timing to come back to America!
Because of his service Captain Dermer agreed to bring him back to Plymouth to return to his people!
Because everyone in his tribe was dead he was able to survive with the help of another tribe, the tribe that eventually came to the help of a little starving community of missionaries who believed God told them to come to America and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Because Squanto was in America when the pilgrims came, he was able to teach them how to survive!
What an amazing plan God had to ensure the survival of his anointed vessels! Who can help but acknowledge the mighty hand of God! The Pilgrims had all but given up hope until they were met by a man who God had divinely prepared and placed!
The First Thanksgiving
Squanto saw to it that the pilgrims acquired the knowledge and the seeds they need to begin to plant the crops necessary and when the 20 acres of corn the Pilgrims had planted under Squanto’s tutelage was finally harvested, they decided to hold a celebration in honor of their deliverance by God and their new friends! They invited Massasoit and the Wampanoag, and of course Samoset and Squanto as well, to come and celebrate with them. Massasoit came a day early, with 90 braves, plus women and children. The Massasoit brought with them deer strung up on poles, and wild turkeys. There were fish from the bay, berries and other fruits, roasted corn, and the Pilgrim women supplied vegetables from their gardens. The celebration of Gods goodness lasted three days. It was a time of rejoicing. You can also be certain these missionaries were beginning their spiritual work also!
Conclusion
How many times in the Bible, have we seen God using difficult circumstances to bring about great miracles. We don't have to look any further than the account of Joseph's captivity in Egypt to be reminded that Gods ways are higher than ours and that he knows the beginning from the end!
When we recount the struggle and suffering of the pilgrims who celebrated the first thanksgiving feast, we are reminded of the courageous story of a group of people who believed they were called and anointed by God to bring the gospel to America. Because of their conviction, God was able to execute His plan, and they received everything they needed not only to survive, but to flourish!
It is so important that we continue to share our great christian heritage, that these reminders of God's hand in the creation of our Christian nation not be vanquished from the history books! The first thanksgiving should be a reminder to us all to continually give thanks to God, and recognize that He is just as intimately involved in our lives! I hope, as we sit down at our dinner tables this year, we will reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for.
When you believe and trust in God, you can be certain nothing that happens in your life is an accident! We serve a great and mighty God, who loves and cares for us and He has woven an intricate and beautiful plan for your life. Even when things seem difficult to understand, (like all the years Squanto had to spend in captivity and servitude across a vast ocean), remember that "All things are working together for your good......." Rom. 8:28
What are you Thankful for?
Today.....
I am THANKFUL for God's eternal Love!
I am THANKFUL for Jesus my Savior!
I am THANKFUL for His Holy Spirt who empowers, leads and guides me through this life!
I am THANKFUL for His perfect plan for my life!
I am THANKFUL for my husband, children, family and friends!
I am THANKFUL for my Church body and oversight
and I am THANKFUL for YOU!
God Bless You and have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!
Please Note: "Forging Your Faith", is not promoting any ministry we do not acknowledge to be a part of!
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FORGING YOUR FAITH
To 'Forge' something, is to mold and shape something for suitable use. We believe that our lives are constantly being shaped and molded by the hand of God for His divine purpose! This publication strives to encourage believers who are beginning this process and those who are well into it! We also believe a truly successful life is a Christ-Centered Life! We hope you will join us and become a regular reader!
Thank You and God Bless,
Marianne Mauti
Founder and CAO
'Forging Your Faith' is the online Christian publication of 'Christ the King Church' in Bellevue, Pa.
About Marianne Mauti: Marianne is a writer and blogger as well as a Pastor at "Christ the King Church" in Bellevue, Pa. She is currently the Dean and Chief Operating Officer of "Christ the King Seminary" a full time Bible Institute. For more information about us please contact us at: crowncntr@aol.com
About Marianne Mauti: Marianne is a writer and blogger as well as a Pastor at "Christ the King Church" in Bellevue, Pa. She is currently the Dean and Chief Operating Officer of "Christ the King Seminary" a full time Bible Institute. For more information about us please contact us at: crowncntr@aol.com\
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ARTICLE RESOURCES
ARTICLE RESOURCES
* The Bible
*Excerpts from an article written by Peter Marshall 2007
