Psalm 107:21-31 (English Standard Version) English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. 21Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! 22And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! 23Some went down to the sea in ships,doing business on the great waters; 24they saw the deeds of the LORD,his wondrous works in the deep. 25For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27they reeled and staggered like drunken menand were at their wits' end.[a] 28Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,and he delivered them from their distress. 29He made the storm be still,and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30Then they were glad that the waters[b] were quiet,and he brought them to their desired haven. 31Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,for his wondrous works to the children of men! Footnotes: Psalm 107:27 Hebrew and all their wisdom was swallowed up
Psalm 107:30 Hebrew theyThanksgiving brings what thoughts to your mind? Family, a big feast, football games, big parades, and the coming of Christmas (although the stores have been decorated prior to Halloween)? Oh, yes, Pilgrims come to mind. What was with those guys anyway?
The Pilgrims were mostly English citizens who wished to have freedom of worship. In 1559, Queen Elizabeth issued a law called the "Act of Uniformity" requiring citizens to attend worship at the Church of England with severe punishment for missing services. The Pilgrims could not bear this burden so they left England for Holland where freedom was to be found. Once there (and it was quite an adventure to even get across the English Channel) the Pilgrims struggled to earn a living and even more importantly, maintain their religious beliefs. The Dutch culture had a hugely negative impact on the children of the Pilgrims with many children abandoning their families to enjoy the temptations of the large, licentious cities. After twelve years of this, the plan was laid to sail for Virginia and the hope of a new world and life.
Not able to find enough shipping for all of them, the first group of 102 set sail in late 1620. Strong storms continually buffeted the Mayflower and at one point the main beam of the ship cracked. The ship's captain, Master Jones pronounced that they would all perish should the beam not be laminated back together. On board was a giant screw for a printing press that the Pilgrims had hoped to use. That screw was a perfect solution and so the journey continued.
The storms pushed the Mayflower far north of their intended target of Virginia placing them in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. The cape was populated by many different Indian tribes, all of whom were not exactly excited to see this ship appear off of their shore. You see, this is not the first encounter that Native Americans have had with Europe, and those encounters had not been the most pleasant.
The spot that the Pilgrims chose for landing was the land that belonged to the Pawtuxet tribe, which had been wiped out by a mysterious disease. Because of this, neighboring tribes did not venture onto this deadly land. Once ashore, the Pilgrims were able to scratch out a meager living for themselves until spring.
In the spring a young member of the Pawtuxet tribe by the name of Squanto shows up. "Greetings, English. I trust that you are faring well and that the Lord whom you serve has kept you through the past winter." What a shock! Squanto had been kidnapped and taken to England for nine years and now appears to assist the Pilgrims.
God's hand is in all of this. The giant screw to keep the ship together. The persecution and sinfulness of European nations that forced the faithful to flee to a new land. The kidnapping of Squanto (else he would have died with the rest of his kinsmen) and education and conversion to Christianity. The landing at the place of the Pawtuxet, the only unoccupied land on Cape Cod, lest the Pilgrims may have been wiped out by neighboring tribes. All of this so that God could establish a nation that became the United States, a country founded upon Christian principles, but that is the source of many other Breads.
We should be as thankful today as the Pilgrims were in 1621 as they worshiped God in the land to which He had sent them.
Blessings today and everyday.
Mark
