Thanksgiving

We must appreciate that our governments have set apart a Thanksgiving Day, for it behooves the whole nation, and each and every one, to commemorate God's benefits in the midst of His temple. It should be our prayer that God's Spirit might influence our hearts to do so and grant us, out of free and sovereign grace, a broken heart and contrite spirit, which sacrifice alone is well pleasing in His sight through faith in Christ Jesus.

Lipwork cannot please God, for He looks for truth in the inward parts. To that end, may He grant us together the spirit of grace and supplication, but also the spirit of thanksgiving. Indeed, the Lord has been mindful of us. God's mercies and goodness are great and manifold toward us and our families, the congregations, and our nation far above our merits and worthiness. He has spared and provided for us in a bountiful measure.

If He had entered into judgment with us and regarded our iniquities, our place would be vacant upon His footstool, and we would be in the place of eternal misery. May our hearts be truly humbled, and may the goodness of God lead us to repentance, for the first time or by renewing, and to the knowledge of the triune God, who is the life of His people. In this knowledge there is eternal life.

The blessings which God gave us in the realm of nature were great, for we were blessed with fruitfulness. There is still seed for the sower and bread for the eater. Some areas were beset with various calamities; the hand of the Lord was heavy with floods and earthquakes, tornados, and other strange diseases and disasters, but it ought to be a wonder for all o f us that we are not consumed by the holy wrath of God. God's hand was stretched over us in goodness, notwithstanding the provoking sins and the terrible hardness of heart in the evil of sin in heart, home, church, and nation. Although dark clouds hover over our heads on account of the threatening judgments of God, and although God speaks powerfully in the signs of the times, this still is not regarded. God permits His Word to be brought unto us, but the barrenness is great, and who takes it to heart? Who is grieved regarding his condition?

We do not have to go very far to seek this, but let each one examine himself, and surely we shall find so much guilt that, with the publican, we dare not raise our eyes to heaven because of shame. May we truly become guilty before God. Then there would be hope, even though the future looks very dark. The Lord testifies in His Word: When My people shall own their guilt and shall seek My face, then shall I remember My covenant. Everything proves that the coming of the Lord draws nigh. Blessed is he who may find peace with God and is sheltered in Christ as the Ark of safety. United by faith with Him, then, and then only, shall we be able to flee from the wrath of God. If this may take place in our lives, it is nothing else than that the Lord was mindful of us.

In this text man is not placed in the foreground, but the Lord, who is Jehovah, the true and living God. He is the source of all blessings. “The LORD hath been mindful of us.” When God permits the full light to fall upon this truth in the hearts of His people, they may behold the basis of it, which lies in eternity. Even in eternity the Lord had thoughts of His people. Jehovah declares this Himself in Jeremiah 29: 1 1 , “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” From all eternity God was moved within Himself, not over all mankind, but only over a part of the children of men, according to His sovereign good pleasure. The cause of election and rejection does not lie in the creature. All motives or conditional causes outside of God are entirely impossible.

In the word “think,” or “mindful,” there lies in the original language the meaning of power and strength, namely, the ability or power of the soul to retain something in remembrance, or permanently to retain someone in his thoughts or affections. It is obvious that this also includes thinking of somebody. It is a power and strength of the soul in this respect that we retain someone in our thoughts and affections. Although this virtue is defective with men, nevertheless it is perfect with God. With men it is so often, “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him” (Genesis 40:23).

In the good sense of the word, then it certainly strengthens our life when we are not compelled to live alone. John Bunyan remarked, “After man's fall, there remains a dejected world.” And indeed this is correct. How encouraging it is to know that here and there someone is still thinking of us, especially when we are in trouble. This is especially true when there is a covenant, such as between David and Jonathan. Still we shall experience that here upon earth everything is defective and temporal. No one can give us anything, not even the dearest child of God, for we are all poor and needy creatures. In order to be able to pray or sigh for each other, it must be granted from above. And when death comes and separation is made in the world, it is confirmed that Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel has no remembrance of us.

Moreover, in the way of discovering, God breaks down and causes us to lose everything. Such ways are bitter for our flesh and blood, but they are necessary that Christ may have the highest place in our hearts. God alone remains as the strength of our heart and the support of our soul. To be comprehended in the eternal thoughts of God surpasses everything. It is everything to experience in our life that God knew us from eternity and that we are never out of His thoughts, but that He is ever mindful of us. God being mindful of us is that He is unchangeable in His being, in His attributes, and in His virtues, but also in the manifestation of His attributes and virtues. He is always mindful of His people in love, for they are the object of His love and good pleasures; His delights were with the children of men from all eternity. He is mindful of His covenant with them; He is mindful of them in Christ, who was given for a covenant of the people, which is the fruit of His eternal good pleasure, and this pleasure of the Lord shall prosper through Christ. Those whom He has loved were loved with an eternal love, and He shall love them unto the end.

Whatever may fall away here upon earth, or whatever disappointments we meet with, the firm foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal: The Lord knoweth them that are His. The devil, the world, or sin cannot undermine or move away this foundation. The salvation of God's church and people lies secure in God from all eternity. At times God's people may lament, “The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me,” but this is never the case, for He has graven them in the palms of His hands, and their walls are continually before Him. He is ever mindful of them, and the experience of this fact gives them strength, courage, and happiness.

Yes, there are times when they are unable to express in words their wonder that such a lofty, glorious, righteous, and holy God is turned to them in favor, and that He loves them with all the love of His heart, even though they are nothing else but miserable, guilty, and damnable creatures. To them it is a wonder that He was moved with compassion over them, that He was willing to reveal and glorify Himself in them by His love, and that He included them in the eternal covenant of peace, which is well-ordered in all things and sure. He gave His only Son, which was the dearest He had, yes, He granted them His Holy Spirit to dwell in them, constantly reminding them what Christ had spoken unto them. Oh, that we all could say, “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God” (Psalm 139). That would be everything.

“The LORD hath been mindful of us.” Outwardly, we have abundant reason to take it over personally, as country, as nation, and as a people. If God had not been mindful of us, we would have been consumed and swept away by His justice. May it fill us with wonder and amazement that God still bears with us. God has been mindful of us in nature. The covenant made with Noah has again been confirmed, for the heavens still showered blessings upon us so that nothing was lacking. If we might have deep impressions of this in our hearts, we would cry out on this Thanksgiving Day, “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that Thou visitest him?” Would we not then be willing to bow in the dust if our eyes and hearts were opened for the greatness of this God who granted all out of pure grace?

But, my friends, we become aware of the fact that through our deep fall we have lost all our intentions. Of ourselves we tread and trample on the benefits and forget God who gave them. Let us question ourselves at this time how often during the past season our hearts were humbled when we beheld the precious green fields and the fully laden orchards, and when we saw the cattle in the pastures. Must we not admit with shame that our hearts are like stones, and that we live as though we are entitled to these privileges? Also in this respect we have sunk deeper than the irrational creatures.

Let us confess sincerely that our lives by nature are nothing else but a departing from God, a forgetting of God, and a forsaking of God. True thankfulness is not found in us. God must place before us the benefits, and His Spirit must lead us to that God, who also in this season was mindful of those who have forgotten Him. Let us never think that this will ever change for the better, but that instead it will diminish until there is nothing left. Without Christ we cannot observe Thanksgiving Day. He is the only sin offering, but also the thank and praise offering that is acceptable to God. To be united through faith with Christ is essential shall it be well with us for time and eternity.

May the Lord strengthen also those among us for whom this year was a year of calamities and disappointments. For some it was a difficult year. You lost much, but, my dear friends, may the Lord give you to bow in true humility before Him and under His dealings with you, so that it may bear fruit for your eternal welfare. May the Lord humble us together, giving us to declare, “The LORD hath been mindful of us.”

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