July 13 Psalms of Thanksgiving

Lesson: Psalm 34

Sermon Title: Praise God with a Thankful Heart

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Thanksgiving humor.

Turkey Hunting1

Some people REALLY love Christmas. Me, I love Thanksgiving.

Last year I had my chance to do the traditional thing of shooting my own turkey for Thanksgiving.

Man, you should have seen the people scatter in the meat department!

XXX

I Don't Want to Go1

Thanksgiving day was approaching and the family had received a Thanksgiving card with a painting of a pilgrim family on their way to church.

Grandma showed the card to her small grandchildren, observing: "The Pilgrim children liked to go to church with their mothers and fathers."

"Oh yeah?" her young grandson replied, "So why is their dad carrying that rifle?"         

XXX

·        MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY, MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.

·        MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP,

·        MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS,

·        MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,

·        MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER

·        STAY OFF YOUR THIGHS

Happy Thanksgiving!

I.                    Why Thanksgiving humor, it’s not Thanksgiving.

A.                 Ah, but Psalm 34 is a Psalm of thanksgiving.

B.                 Thanksgiving reminds us of the Pilgrims and the first Harvest Festival.

II.                Accounts of Harvest festival were written by William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation (1621), and Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation (November 1620-November 1621)

A.                 Written between 1630 and 1647, the Bradford’s journal describes the story of the Pilgrims from 1608, when they settled in Holland, through the 1620 Mayflower voyage, until the year 1647. The book ends with a list, written in 1650, of Mayflower passengers.

"They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports."

B.                 Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation: (November 1620-November 1621)

"our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deer, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

III.             This is not Thanksgiving in November

A.                 This is Thanksgiving in July.

1.                   No Packer’s game to watch.

2.                  For the die-hard football fans, there may be an Arena football game to watch.

3.                  No turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, or creamed onions.

4.                  Joseph R. Swaim has noted:

“Though I keep Thanksgiving in November, but forget that every day brings cause for giving thanks, I am at heart ungrateful.”

B.                 The Pilgrims gathered for a religious celebration of thanksgiving.

1.                   It was an reenactment of the fall harvest festival.

2.                  We call it Thanksgiving.

3.                  They gathered to offer praise.

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MAIN BODY

I.                    Do you ever wonder why and how they could gather to offer praise?

A.                 In the midst of their many difficulties they were able to express a profound gratitude.

1.                   Who can begin to understand the apprehension of preparing for an ocean journey.

a.                  The anxieties of the journey.

b.                  The storms.

2.                  The disappointment of landing at the wrong place in the wrong time.

3.                  The Pilgrims accepted the arduous task of preparing for winter.

a.                  Building a place to live.

b.                  Rationing of food.

Tradition says that the Pilgrims, in later years, put five grains of corn upon each empty plate before their annual Thanksgiving feasts were served. The father, mother, children and others at the table would each pick up a grain of corn and tell something for which they were thankful. The corn was to remind them that in the first year in the New World they had been in such dire straits that their allowance had been only five grains of corn per person per day.

4.                  Dealing with hostile Indians.

5.                  Caring for the ill and the dead.

The first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims. The cold, snow and sleet was exceptionally heavy, interfering with the workers as they tried to construct their settlement. March brought warmer weather and the health of the Pilgrims improved, but many had died during the long winter. Of the 110 Pilgrims and crew who left England, less that 50 survived the first winter.

B.                 What you discover in answering the question of how and why is that they had a deep level of trust.

1.                   They trusted in each other.

2.                  They trusted in their basic skills and abilities and in their ability to develop greater skills.

3.                  They trusted in an English speaking Indian.

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II.                Trust led to achievement and accomplishment.

A.                 They trusted in God.

1.                   The letter of William Hilton, passenger on the Fortune

The Mayflower arrived in Plymouth in December of 1620. No further ships arrived in Plymouth until immediately after that "First Thanksgiving" - the Fortune arrived in November of 1621. One of the passengers on the Fortune, William Hilton, wrote a letter home that November.2

Loving Cousin,

At our arrival in New Plymouth , in New England, we found all our friends and planters in good health, though they were left sick and weak, with very small means; the Indians round about us peaceable and friendly; the country very pleasant and temperate, yielding naturally, of itself, great store of fruits, as vines of divers sorts in great abundance. There is likewise walnuts, chestnuts, small nuts and plums, with much variety of flowers, roots and herbs, no less pleasant than wholesome and profitable. No place hath more gooseberrries and strawberries, nor better. Timber of all sorts you have in England doth cover the land, that affords beasts of divers sorts, and great flocks of turkey, quails, pigeons and partridges; many great lakes abounding with fish, fowl, beavers, and otters. The sea affords us great plenty of all excellent sorts of sea-fish, as the rivers and isles doth variety of wild fowl of most useful sorts. Mines we find, to our thinking; but neither the goodness nor quality we know. Better grain cannot be than the Indian corn, if we will plant it upon as good ground as a man need desire. We are all freeholders; the rent-day doth not trouble us; and all those good blessings we have, of which and what we list in their seasons for taking.

2.                  It is the conclusion of his letter that reveals the trust and faith in God.

Our company are, for most part, very religious, honest people; the word of God sincerely taught us every Sabbath; so that I know not any thing a contented mind can here want. I desire your friendly care to send my wife and children to me, where I wish all the friends I have in England; and so I rest

Your loving kinsman,
William Hilton

B.                 Trust led to praise.

1.                   You have little idea of the dangers and obstacles that must be faced.

2.                  So you learn to trust in yourself and your circumstances as you live out one day at a time.

3.                  Because you are part of a religious community your basic trust in God is carried over into everyday life.

a.                  Do have some concern.

b.                  Do not worry.

c.                   Worry is excessive anticipation.

d.                  Worry is excessive fear.

C.                 Your trust allows you to develop praise.

1.                   The Pilgrims had a deep river of trust.

2.                  Trust creates Praise and Thanksgiving.

D.                They sang the Psalms

1.                   They probably sang Psalm 34.

2.                  Sing the 24th Psalm!

Psalm 34, The Scottish Salter, 1564/1635

Please Note: eke (eek) is the Old English word for also.

1        I will give laud and honor both
          unto the Lord always;
And eke my mouth for evermore
          shall speak unto his praise.

2        I do delight to laude the Lord,
          in soul, and eke in voice,
That humble men and mortified,
          may hear and so rejoice.

3        Therefore see that ye magnify
          with me the living Lord;
Let us exalt his holy Name
          together with one accord.

4        For I myself besought the Lord,
          he answered me again,
And me relieved incontinent
          From all my fear and pain.

5        Whoso they be that him behold,
          shall see his light most clear;
Their countenance shall not be dashed,
          they need it not to fear.

6        This silly wretch for some relief
          unto the Lord did call,
Who did him hear without delay,
          and rid him out of thrall.

7        The angel of the Lord doth pitch
          his tents in ev'ry place,
To save all such as fear the LORD,
          that nothing them deface.

8        Taste, and consider well therefore,
          that God is good and just!
O happy man, that maketh him
          his only stay and trust!

9        Fear ye the Lord, his holy ones,
          above all earthly thing;
For they that fear the living Lord,
          are sure to lack nothing.

10      The lions shall be hunger-bit,
          and pined with famine much;
But as for them that fear the Lord,
          no lack shall be to such.

3.                  They understood the origins and the nature of the Psalm.

a.                  Saul jealous of David’s success in battle orders him killed.

b.                  David flees to the land of the Philistines.

c.                   He feigns madness to escape from the clutches of the king.

d.                  David trusted in God.

4.                  The Pilgrims trusted in God.

a.                  They tasted and saw.

b.                  They did more than taste, they lived in, on and through the Word of God.

c.                   They were relieved from all their fear.

d.                  An angel of the Lord encamped about them and delivered them.

5.                  Where there is little or no trust, there is little or no thanksgiving.

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III.             We live in a nation who trust level cannot be compared to a deep river, but to a shallow and turgid stream.

A.                 We trust very little.

1.                   Government problem solving.

2.                  Provision for care of the citizens.

3.                  Education

4.                  Social structure

B.                 Where is our trust in God?

1.                   What do we really know about the information that communicates God's desire and ability to help us.

2.                  Perhaps we find ourselves trusting in God less and in other resources more.

a.                  We taste and see.

b.                  We are encouraged to do more than taste, to live in, on and through the Word of God.

c.                   We may be relieved from all our fear.

d.                  An angel of the Lord encamped about us and delivers us.

C.                 Where is our praise, our appreciation, our thanksgiving.

1.                   What do we have to be thankful for?

2.                  What can we say that we really appreciate?

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CONCLUSION:

I.                    Pilgrims on a foreign shore did not let go of their trust in God.

A.                 They inaugurated the first Thanksgiving.

B.                 They did not have much, but God was in what they had.

II.                If we are able to hold on to our basic ability to trust.

A.                 We will find that we have for which to be thankful.

B.                 That gratitude will be expressed in thanksgiving to God for all that is made available to us.

III.             Remember the 34th Psalm

Amen.

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2The letter was written in November of 1621) From Alexander Young's Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1841.