POSTED 23 NOVEMBER, 2009

Thankfulness

by Mark Huey
mark@outreachisrael.net

reproduced from the McHuey Blog

With Thanksgiving on most American minds this week, I thought it would be beneficial to reflect on some personal thankfulness. After all, if you are an American—and most importantly a Believer in the accomplished work of the Messiah Yeshua—you should be thankful for a great cornucopia of temporal and eternal blessings. While residing in the most prosperous country in the world, a country founded upon Biblical principles, has its benefits—the added knowledge of eternal forgiveness for one’s transgressions outweighs any and all temporal blessings that are here today and gone tomorrow.

Before delving into some personal gratefulness to the Lord, and the privilege that our family has to serve Him and His Kingdom, some historical information I recently learned about Thanksgiving is in order. Just this past week, I was discussing the issue of Thanksgiving with a coworker, as I was trying to covertly witness to him about the Lord. He mentioned how President Lincoln declared that the third Thursday in November was to become a “national holiday,” and some of the complicated circumstances in the 1860s that prompted it.

The particular fellow I was talking to considers himself an extremely well read lover of history. Through our multiple conversations about history, he reminded me that his search of history in order to find out more about his ancestors—was the same “hook” that the Holy Spirit used years ago in my life to have me seek out who I came from and why I even existed. My prayer was that a similar path to faith could possibly be the one that the Lord was using for this fellow, so I listened intently to his statements about some of the histories he had researched. I thought after developing a rapport, that perhaps during the course of a conversation, the opportunity to share about the Messiah would present itself, as declaring the hope that is within me is ever-present on my mind.

Since I studied American history years ago, when he asserted that Abraham Lincoln was the president who instituted the national holiday, my curiosity was piqued. After all, when one thinks of Thanksgiving, the stories of the Pilgrims, Indians, and the Fall harvest are all conjured up. While those elements were certainly being thought about in various degrees prior to Lincoln’s presidential edict, it was Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War (October 3, 1863), who actually made a proclamation that inaugurated Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In the concluding paragraph of Lincoln’s declaration, I see confirming words of how the Lord has had His sovereign hand present throughout the history of the United States. Surely, remembering the godly people who originally helped colonize North America would be something appropriate to do, as unity would need to have been restored to a country so severely divided, having suffered great human carnage:

…It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth. (signed) Abraham Lincoln

As I looked into this interesting aspect of American history, which was never emphasized (to my recollection) during my years of study, I was reminded that more recent popular political correctness does not necessarily highlight the words of those who believed in the providential work of the Almighty. So, in an era when the divisions in our country are becoming more and more apparent, perhaps you might want to give your family and friends a harmless little history lesson over the turkey dinner? You might be amazed with the conversations that could be generated!

On the other hand, as I was sharing with this fellow some of the things I am doing, I was able to describe my thankfulness for the advent of the Internet and its ability to allow our family to do what we are currently doing in the ministry. Without going into great detail, I told my companion that we had a teaching ministry that was viable because of our ability to inexpensively send our teachings, exhortations, reflections, and Bible studies around the globe—without necessarily requiring any financial obligation from the recipients. He naturally responded by relating to the teachings of Eighteenth Century Americans like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and others who were able to affordably produce pamphlets, newsletters, and posters to communicate their ideas to a searching society, seeking common sense solutions to their then-prevailing challenges and problems. Naturally, the conversation then migrated over to the blogosphere, and how essayists and writers are now able to reach countless numbers simply because they are accessible via the web. While the conversations seemed to veer toward his natural inclinations rather than spiritual subjects, I remained content with the nominal watering of spiritual seeds that were obviously planted during the course of his historical searches.

Despite some physical challenges in my extended family, which have been mentioned in previous blogs, thankfulness continues to well up inside of my heart. I am especially grateful to those of you who faithfully support our ministry efforts to consistently reach out to the Messianic community. Undoubtedly, at this season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of how the Lord has used and continues to use His people to collaborate in getting His messages to those scattered around the world. In many regards, it is not too different than what He did in the First Century through people like Paul. Paul once described how powerful the mutual effort becomes, as the Body of Messiah works together to accomplish the purposes of our Father:

“So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, ‘He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever’ [Psalm 112:9]. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Messiah and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:5-15).

While Paul was expressing his thankfulness for the gifts that were applicable to work that he and his colleagues conducted in the ancient Mediterranean, we are thankful for the financial support that allows us to send our teachings around the globe freely. Amazingly, the different search engines and other tools used to find information, constantly send people to our websites. While we do not necessarily know what the specific impact is upon the hearts of God’s people, we know that just like my coworker who is seeking an understanding about his personal history, it is ultimately up to Him to cause the increase. As Paul additionally tells his readers in Corinth, God is responsible for the increase or growth of those seeking Him:

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Messiah. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Messiah Yeshua” (1 Corinthians 3:1-11).

The key to helping any person with his or her spiritual growth is building a spiritual house upon the Rock of Yeshua. It is upon the Lord alone that every servant—a planter of spiritual seed or one who waters the seed with words of wisdom—must have his focus on. In modern-day parlance, whether you are writing the articles or books required for training people, or whether you are supplying the resources so that the necessary time can be spent conducting do diligence, the critical thing is that the work of the Kingdom is being advanced. Since it is ultimately God who causes the growth or increase, Paul details how “each shall receive his wages according to his labor” (RSV). The Lord will provide.

In the final equation, it does not matter whether you are a teacher or a writer, a supplier of needs, a prayer supporter, or one who possesses any of the other gifts freely bestowed to the children of God. You will eventually be rewarded for whatever you have done with the gift or gifts you have received. Have you used them wisely? Have you devoted a part of your temporal blessings (time, talents, and treasure) to eternal endeavors? These are questions that only you can answer in the stillness of your heart.

Our thankfulness for those who have supported our ministry efforts—by their prayers, encouragement, and finances—can never be fully expressed. You know who you are. So does our Heavenly Father, as He has prompted you to join with us in helping His people.

This week as you might be sitting down to commemorate Thanksgiving, always remember to give thanks for the salvation that you possess in the Messiah Yeshua! Be thankful for those family members, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and even acquaintances who know the Savior. And, be mindful of how whether we know it or not, we are constantly sowing and watering spiritual seeds by more than mere words. Our loving actions speak much louder than our words!

Wherever you are this week, even if you do not remember Thanksgiving as a part of your country’s national heritage, be full of thankfulness for God’s love for the world—and most especially—for you!

Mark Huey (B.A., Vanderbilt University in History and Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is the Director of Outreach Israel Ministries (www.outreachisrael.net). He is the author of several books, including: TorahScope, Volumes I & II, and Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot. He is also co-author of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study.