Thanksgiving Day

It is a good Christian custom to celebrate Thanksgiving Day — to think upon material blessings the Lord has given us during the past season. He it was who again has shown His goodness, mercy, and longsuffering. On a day like this we should humble ourselves before our great Benefactor to acknowledge Him for all the mercies bestowed upon us, especially when we think of so many underdeveloped countries where the people are continually suffering on account of the lack of the necessities of life. Why has the Lord made such a distinction? This thought should humble us, not only on Thanksgiving Day, but all the year round, and make us to say: “It is the goodness of the Lord that we are not consumed.” Oh, that humbling grace might be given unto us and that we may return to the Lord with all the benefits He graciously has given us! Alas, man by nature doesn’t observe them. Therefore it is a good custom that in some countries they have set apart a special day to remember the mercies the Lord has bestowed upon them. However, it is very sad that, also in this respect, there has come much superficiality in place of the religious aspect, which was formerly the main thing. It has now changed more or less into a day of pleasure and greediness. Also in this some reformation seems to be necessary.

In the olden times Thanksgiving Day was a day of humiliation and penitence as well as self-examination, whereto we are encouraged by many texts from the Bible, such as, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jer. 8:20).

The fact that the people of Israel were a highly privileged nation, becomes clearly evident in their sacred history. This was the reason that Moses, the servant of the Lord, said of them: “Happy art thou O Israel. Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord.” They shared in God’s particular care as becomes evident in the Lord’s dealings with them. But it was also for this reason that they were chastised when they provoked God to anger. This is why there was adversity in their life, for also at that time the Lord chastised those whom He loved. Therefore at the time of Jeremiah the Lord asked, “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?” This was why the Lord’s hand was resting upon them, causing them to sigh under the besiegement of the Babylonian army, while there was no expectation for help from the Egyptians. This was the reason why they complained in despondency: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

Undoubtedly there will be readers among our people who will say, “Well, this is exactly my spiritual condition, for the summer is gone and my condition has become worse.” For it seems that deliverance has become more impossible to them than ever before. This is the way the Lord deals with His concerned people. They see that meanwhile much precious time has gone by and they do not feel saved. This may be the condition of concerned people who are longing for pardoning grace and that the Lord would speak a few words to them, which would change their entire condition. But they feel that only an almighty and merciful God can do that. They strongly desire that it may happen to them and that it would change their condition entirely.

Those people are convinced that without such an experience they are not saved, which means to them that they are not delivered from their spiritual bonds. The harvest is past. They acknowledge the Lord for the benefits received, but oh, no change for good has come in their life, and consequently they still remain under a spirit of bondage. With an emptiness in their heart, there is a strong desire that the Lord may speak to them, “I am thy salvation.” Only the Lord’s speaking can change their sad condition.

The harvest is past, barns have been filled. Oh, a great blessing for the natural life, but an empty soul makes them cry to God. Those are the people who cannot live without God. It is a sign of godly sorrow, whereof the apostle says that it “worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.” The good work has begun and He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Alas, numberless people are careless concerning their salvation because the god of the world has blinded them. They are lovers of this world rather than lovers of God. Poor creatures they are! In a spiritual sense they are empty vessels, whatever their education and occupation might be. They are spiritually dead, which is a forerunner of their eternal death, and though many of them have some religion, nevertheless they are estranged from the spiritual life the Lord gives to His people. The number of those who are thus minded is countless. They all are on the broad way to the bottomless pit.

It is very sad that, though we may live in a so-called Christian country, nevertheless the great mass is living as pagans in the spiritual sense. But it is also very sad that those who have a little knowledge leave religion for what it is and go on in their careless way of living. Oh, that the Word out of the book of Jonah, “What meanest thou, O sleeper?” may awaken them out of their carelessness.

Woe if they go on in their own way! Their end will be the bottomless pit, and they will find out that in hell there will not be one denier of God; for they all shall find out that it is a most fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God who is a consuming fire by whom none can live. Then they will have another opinion of God and religion. But it will be too late for them, too late, and that forever and ever.

Dear reader, oh what a wonder still to be in the time of grace! God has been very patient with you; otherwise He could have sent you away, but He has not had a desire in your death. Therefore, try to realize your condition that you may escape the wrath to come.

They are sleeping on the top of a mast from which they can fall any minute, sinking away into the horrible pit from whence no one has ever come back.

Let this be an earnest warning to those who are careless about salvation. Dear reader, what do you think? Well, I believe that many people are unaware of their carelessness because of their worldly-mindedness by which they are totally carried away. They are under the power of unbelief, yes, dead in sin and unrighteousness. They are sleeping on the top of a mast from which they can fall any minute, sinking away into the horrible pit from whence no one has ever come back. Please try to remember what it means not to be saved.

Other people suppose that they are saved, which is the opinion of superficial Christians who have no knowledge of God’s attributes and the condemning power of the law. They flatter themselves with superficial ideas. They are ignorant of the things man must learn to know if it be well with them. Their condition differs so much from those who say, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Those people have been longing for it, but alas, the desire of their heart has not been fulfilled. Oh, “not saved,” becomes more and more an unbearable burden. They are convinced of the impossibility from their side and that something must happen which only an almighty and merciful God can do.

To this end the Lord must speak to man, as He has done to all His people by His Word and Spirit. This immediately causes a blessed change in the life of man and is accompanied with a sweet power which has an overwhelming influence upon them, by which darkness and anxiety disappear. The heart is filled with amazement, peace and spiritual joy, which cannot be uttered but can only be felt. Oh, the power and sweetness of the texts which drop into their soul are so sweet that it makes them unable to speak for a while, and with a holy amazement they admire the precious words the Lord has spoken to them. They also feel that it has a saving power. A time like this is a most blessed time, and with holy admiration they admire what the Lord has done to their soul.

What a difference from the previous months! Old things have passed away and all things have become new. The inner peace, as a result of the blessings they have received, is an evidence of the saving words the Lord has spoken unto them. They who have experienced the benefits mentioned can say, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and.... The Lord has done great things to us; therefore are we glad.”

Dear readers, have there been such seasons in your life? If not, then you are not saved. Do you realize what that means? Pray earnestly for discovering grace — that a gracious God may grant you the things which are necessary to your salvation, which have been given to many. They all have testified that the value of it became greater while their years were climbing, and have by grace enjoyed the only comfort in life and death. Dear reader, are you among them? Well, then you will receive a crown which fades not away, but will last forever and ever.

Walking by Faith

“And Enoch walked with God.”

— Genesis 5:24

The chief way whereby we walk with God is by faith, and not by sight. Abraham walked in this way. Unbelief severs the soul from God. There is no communion between God and an infidel. An unbelieving heart has no fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ; but a believing heart has communion with Him. It is by faith that we have fellowship with God and His dear Son; and you will find that just in proportion to the strength or weakness of your faith is your walking with God. If you have faith in blessed exercise, as you look to the atoning blood, you find that you can walk with God; you can pour out your heart before Him, tell Him all your concerns, spread before Him the inmost movements of your mind, and look to Him for peace and consolation. But when your faith is weak, when it gives way under trial, and cannot take hold of the promises, then communion is interrupted; there is no longer a walking with God. But in proportion as faith is strong, so there is a walking with God in sweet agreement; for faith keeps eyeing the atonement; faith looks not so much to sin, as to salvation from sin; at the way whereby sin is pardoned, overcome, and subdued. So it is by faith, and in proportion to our faith, that we walk together with God.

— J.C. Philpot

Rev. L. Kieboom is an emeritus minister of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations.

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