PLUS

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

In 1834, Noah Webster penned the following:

“The dignity of man, in the view of the world, consists in elevation of rank in society, superior intelligence, and high minded notion of honor. These are qualities which make men respected in society, and are of real value to the possessor. But these qualities may be and often are united, in the same character, with the foulest vices. There is another species of dignity which consists in the abhorrence of every vice, and in aiming at the excellence which has a resemblance to divine perfections. God is the only perfect being, the only model of all excellence; and no man can be possessed of true dignity of character, without purity of heart, and a divine principle which elevates the affections above the love of that which God abhors and forbids. Whatever God forbids is degrading, however fashionable it may be, and however esteemed among men. It is our first duty to seek the honor that comes from God.”

We are to cling to the principles esteemed by God regardless of whether they are esteemed by man. Being faithful does not mean that we will be fashionable.

Webster provides the important warning that the same characteristics elevated by the world may be linked to the foulest vices. Thus, in order to avoid such a character trap it is necessary to seek God first. As the only model of all excellence, the Lord and His characteristics should be first and foremost in our minds. With a goal of continually striving towards divine perfections, the right characteristics will be added unto us.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A GOD-FIRST MINDSET IN THE LIVES OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, INCLUDING YOURSELF. However fashionable the things of the world may be, true dignity of character only comes by placing the Lord first.

James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Noah Webster is known as the ‘Father of American Scholarship and Education.’ He was an author, an abolitionist, a lexicographer, and an outspoken supporter of the Constitution. Later in his life, this Founding Father wrote two must-read books for children and adults alike:

• The Value of the Bible and Excellence of the Christian Religion for the Use of Families and Schools (1834)
• History of the United States (1833)

The next four PLUS posts will use thoughts from these great works.

Webster wrote the following:

“The great difference between the maxims of the world and the doctrines of the gospel, is, that human opinions spring from pride, and tend to foster it; whereas the doctrines of the gospel teach humility, and self-abasement. The maxims of the world serve to encourage self-dependence in men, inducing them to rely on their own strength and resources for success, in business or policy, without seeking aid from the Almighty source of power. The gospel inculcates the opposite doctrine; it teaches that ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.’ It serves to make men humble, and to rely wholly on God for success, not only in spiritual concerns, but in the ordinary occupations of this world. In the pagan world, bravery and human efforts are everything; and God is nothing. In the Christian system, human strength is nothing, and God is every thing. In a Christian community then, all government should be founded on Christian principles or should be directed to support them; and to such a system God will give success. All governments of a different kind will produce, as they have ever produced, innumerable evils while they last, and will ultimately sink into corruption and be ruined. All history is a tissue of facts confirming these observations.”

This Founding Father recognized the need to embrace humility and to shun pride. He recognized that this applies to the personal level and to the governmental level. He recognized that the former would bring grace and the latter would bring resistance.

This nation is great because it didn’t spring from the maxims of this world, but instead from the doctrines of the gospel. The Founders recognized that human strength is nothing and that God is everything. PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERCIA WOULD ONCE AGAIN TURN TO GOD AS OUR EVERYTHING. By doing so, may we avoid the innumerable evils and inevitable ruin that come from the world’s maxims.

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

The theologian and writer William Arthur Ward reminds us of an important precept:

“Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

The fourth Thursday of November is designated as Thanksgiving Day. It is a wonderful day on the calendar to remind us of the importance of thankfulness and gratitude, primarily directed toward the Lord. Yet in reality, a true Christian spirit should prompt us toward thankfulness and gratitude on the other 364 days as well.

With a Lord that deserves our constant gratitude, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. Our routine should be filled with joy. We should feel blessed by the ordinary. As we wake on any given day, we should remind ourselves that “this is the day which the LORD hath made.” There are many reasons for which we should rejoice and be glad in it.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A CONSTANT, DAILY SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day, filled with thankfulness and gratitude directed toward the source of all our blessings. Do the same on the day to follow, and the days and the weeks after that. Do so every day, common or not.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Please see this previous post for President Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation: https://prayatlunch.us/give-thanks/
Please see this previous post for thoughts on the 1621 day of thanksgiving: https://prayatlunch.us/a-good-god/

Psalm 107:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

The following text comprises President Reagan’s 1986 Thanksgiving Proclamation:

By the President of the United States of America, A Proclamation,

Perhaps no custom reveals our character as a Nation so clearly as our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage, the practice of offering thanksgiving underscores our unshakeable belief in God as the foundation of our Nation and our firm reliance upon Him from Whom all blessings flow. Both as individuals and as a people, we join with the Psalmist in song and praise: “Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.”

One of the most inspiring portrayals of American history is that of George Washington on his knees in the snow at Valley Forge. That moving image personifies and testifies to our Founders’ dependence upon Divine Providence during the darkest hours of our Revolutionary struggle. It was then – when our mettle as a Nation was tested most severely – that the Sovereign and Judge of nations heard our plea and came to our assistance in the form of aid from France. Thereupon General Washington immediately called for a special day of thanksgiving among his troops.

Eleven years later, President Washington, at the request of the Congress, first proclaimed November 26, 1789, as Thanksgiving Day. In his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, President Washington exhorted the people of the United States to observe “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer” so that they might acknowledge “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.” Washington also reminded us that “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.”

Today let us take heart from the noble example of our first President. Let us pause from our many activities to give thanks to Almighty God for our bountiful harvests and abundant freedoms. Let us call upon Him for continued guidance and assistance in all our endeavors. And let us ever be mindful of the faith and spiritual values that have made our Nation great and that alone can keep us great. With joy and gratitude in our hearts, let us sing those stirring stanzas:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, in the spirit of George Washington and the Founders, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 27, 1986, as a National Day of Thanksgiving, and I call upon every citizen of this great Nation to gather together in homes and places of worship on that day of thanks to affirm by their prayers and their gratitude the many blessings bestowed upon this land and its people.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh. Ronald Reagan.

Let us mimic the character of our nation’s founding by showing thankfulness and gratitude towards the Lord on Thanksgiving Day. Doing so is rooted deeply in our heritage, and like our forefathers, reveals an unshakable belief in the Lord as America’s foundation. We are wholly dependent upon Him.

Let us also “be mindful of the faith and spiritual values that have made our Nation great and that alone can keep us great.” As Reagan proclaimed, Americans must affirm by our prayers and our gratitude the many blessings bestowed upon this land and its people.

PLEASE PRAY WITH AN OVERWHELMING SENSE OF THANKFULNESS FOR THE ABUNDANT BLESSINGS IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR NATION. There is much for which to be thankful, and gratitude should drive us to our knees.

ADDITIONAL NOTE:  Please see this previous post for President Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation: https://prayatlunch.us/thanksgiving/

I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Christians are not to be mediocre in anything we do because all our actions represent Christ.  We are not to perform marginally in our chores, our ministries, our professions, our schoolwork, or our housework.  Instead, we are to strive for excellence in all that we do.  After all, the Bible makes clear that we are to do everything for the glory of God.  He deserves our best in all areas of our lives.  We are to prepare for excellence and put excellence into practice for Him.

If you are called to the ministry, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be a politician, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be a mother or a father, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be a scientist or an engineer, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be an entertainer, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be a businessman, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be a craftsman, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be a laborer, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be an athlete, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be a soldier, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  If you are called to be an author, prepare and do it to the glory of God.  Whatsoever you are called to do, prepare and do it to the glory of God.

The world sees mediocrity all around us.  There is nothing mediocre about Christ, and as Christians our actions should not represent Him as such.  PLEASE PRAY THAT CHRISTIANS WOULD STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ALL WE DO.  Christ deserves our best as we continuously represent him.