Thanksgiving History Lesson & George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thanksgiving History Lesson & George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

The concept of Thanksgiving Day started with the pilgrims, as mentioned in the video link below. But an official day declared throughout the land was not begun until years later.

 

In 1789 the U.S. first president, George Washington, issued a proclamation for a day of Thanksgiving. Here is President Washington’s proclamation. I’d like to encourage you to print it out and read it at your Thanksgiving celebration.

 

 

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor -- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -- for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation -- for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war -- for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed -- for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions -- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed -- to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us -- and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington 

The Library of Congress George Washington Collection

The Library of Congress Thanksgiving in America

FOUNDATIONS OF OUR LIBERTIES

  

Seventy-four years later during a tumultuous time, in a nation torn by civil war, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday of November a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise.”



Norman Rockwell - "Thanksgiving"

Each year on that day, Americans gather for a day of feasting, football and family. While today’s Thanksgiving celebrations would likely be unrecognizable to attendees of the original 1621 harvest meal, it continues to be a day for Americans to come together around the table—albeit with some updates to pilgrim’s menu.

 

 

 

 

 

 Click on this link for a History Channel video about the history of Thanksgiving:

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving/videos/thanksgiving-becomes-a-holiday

Click on this link for information about President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation---- includes the words of his proclamation.  

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/11/22/read-abraham-lincolns-1863-thanksgiving-proclamation/

©Connie Wohlford 2015

The Lord Has Need of You

“The Lord Has Need of You”           

Can you describe yourself in a word?  Though there’d be many words, I can say a word that works for all of us.
That word is prophetic. 
God prophesied over each of us before we were born and David spoke of it:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! ² You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. ³ You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. ⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!          −Psalm 139:1-4; 13-17.

SO− Before we were even born, God spoke over us. He prophesied over each of us. He caused each one of us to be born on the day we were born, where we were born, and to the parents to whom we were born. AND to each of us He spoke a Prophetic Assignment! 

 

If you’re a parent, He gave you those specific children for such a time as this−for their own Prophetic Assignment.

God has prophesied His plan for each of us and when we enter His family through Jesus and do things His way, it will come to pass just as He ordained for us. We do have a choice in the matter. That’s called free will.

AND−God has need of us!

A few days before His crucifixion, Jesus sent two of his disciples into a village to get the donkey he would ride into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. 

Jesus said to them, “… you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’”

Like the little donkeys, the Lord has need of you and me too−to walk out our Prophetic Assignments. Let’s not forget our assignment was prophesied over us before we were even born. When we walk in our prophetic assignment, we’ll stay close to God every day. His Spirit, in us, will be our constant companion and guide. 

 

And notice, Jesus told the disciples to loose the donkeys.  We often need to be loosed from something or maybe many things before we can be used of God. Each day, we should ask God if there’s something we need to be cut loose from in order to do His bidding on that day.

Often our lives may seem simple and mundane. We may feel that were not fulfilling a Prophetic Assignment. But, as we go day to day serving Him, even in menial ways, He’s using us and preparing us for what’s next in His eternal plan. Our Prophetic Assignment is His eternal plan for us.

Look at Mary−One day God stepped into her life when she was about 15 years old. Before she was born God had chosen her to bear His Son. He had already spoken an incredible destiny, her Prophetic Assignment, over her while she was in her mother’s womb. Like the little donkey, God had need of her.

She knew she was in over her head. She was a pregnant virgin! But how did she respond? She said, “… be it unto me according to your word,” and she entered into God’s redemptive plan. God had handpicked her for such a time in history.

So, what Prophetic Assignment has God spoken over you and me? What has God chosen for us to do with our lives? Why did He put us on His earth HERE and NOW at this amazing time in history? What’s the destiny He has chosen for each of us?

How have we answered His call?  Like Mary did we say, “Be it unto me according to your word.”?

What can we do in order to know His Prophetic Assignment?  We each must ask God to show us what we need to do in order to fulfill what He prophesied over us before our birth.

For a moment, close your eyes and see yourself in your mother’s womb−a seed− then a tiny little fetal positioned baby, wiggling and growing.  See your Creator−the God of the Universe−looking at your unformed body with His hand outstretched, prophesying His Word over you.

What’s He saying?  He wants us to know what he is saying!

Like Mary, we need to take a risk. Like the donkeys, we need to be loosed from something. 

When God called me to start writing things that others would read, I certainly felt that I was taking a risk! AND I needed to be loosed from some things. Did God prophesy that over me when I was an embryo? I believe He did.

SO let’s make every effort to fulfill our Prophetic Assignments.  We each need to do our part in His Kingdom. And we can be 100% confident that our Creator will do His.

Daniel’s Dilemma à Daniel’s Destiny

Daniel’s Dilemma  à  Daniel’s Destiny

Daniel and his three Hebrew buddies had a serious dilemma.

By King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree all the wise men in his kingdom were to die since, thus far, none could interpret the king’s weird dream. It just so happened that Daniel and friends were in the category of wise men in this kingdom of Babylon.

Now King Neb had asked a bit much of his staff of wise men—demanding that before they interpret his dream, they had to state what the dream was. By this he would know there was no faking it.

Since Daniel knew his God well he was confident that Yahweh, Who knows all things, certainly knew King Neb’s dream and what it meant. Daniel therefore ask if he might have a little time to consider the matter before the king lowered the boom on all the wise men. He was granted permission.

Daniel went home and told his three friends that their lives were on the line. BUT they knew and trusted their God, confident He would come through. That night God revealed the mystery’s solution to Daniel in a night vision.

With a grateful heart, Daniel praised God. In his declaration of praise we see the attributes of God which prompted such great faith.

"Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. ²¹ And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
²² He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And
light dwells with Him.

²³ I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand’” (Daniel 2:20-23).
 
Did you notice that I said, a couple of times, that Daniel and his friends knew their God? That is key to their great faith. They had a history with Yahweh (God). They knew the attributes of God—that wisdom and might are His; He can change the times and seasons; He can set up and take down kings; He the giver of wisdom and knowledge; He knows deep secret things and knows what’s in the darkness.
We too can have great faith, just like Daniel. When we know our God intimately and are familiar with His attributes, we will know He is trustworthy even in the scariest of circumstances.
When we pray, let’s let our prayers be based on God’s attributes. AND let’s let our expectations be based on God’s attributes.


 
Let’s each cultivate our own history with God. Our growth in faith today will be part of our history with God tomorrow.

 

You can read this entire fascinating story in your Bible, in the second chapter of Daniel. Here you’ll see Daniel state what the dream was and it’s interpretation, giving all credit to his powerful God. You can also learn about how King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed he declared that the God of the Hebrews was the God of all gods, Lord of kings, and so on. He also gave Daniel a big promotion in his kingdom.

Thank you for reading my blog post today. I hope you’re encouraged to build your history with God. Your comments are welcome.

©Connie Wohlford 2015