The world appears to be spinning out of control. This once-great country of ours is no longer trusted. We are in debt up to our eyeballs. Our friends cannot count on us. In fact, we often bully them.
Our president has become a source of ridicule. Russian President Vladimir Putin taunts him. Terrorists execute our citizens and dare him to do something about it.
Closer to home, we call right "wrong" and wrong "right." Marriage is denigrated. Having children out of wedlock is rewarded. Personal responsibility is out. Government benefits are in.
Children graduate from high school without the ability to read and do basic math. They do not know or appreciate our history.
In Ferguson, Missouri, the life of a thug who robbed a convenience store and attacked a police officer is celebrated while the officer who was trying to protect this neighborhood is called a murderer.
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Those who incited the riots, set fires and looted this town are given a platform. Those whose businesses were trashed are given the back of our hands.
There is no sympathy from the parents of the young man who died in the incident for the officer who was injured and whose life has been turned upside down, no remorse for the part they may have played whatsoever.
The Constitution is ignored, and our borders have become a joke. Those who break into the country demand that our citizens pick up the tab for their needs. Our laws are flaunted, and our officers have been turned into glorified babysitters.
Maybe your own personal world also is falling apart. The good job you once had was given to a foreign worker with an H-1B visa, because all the company needed to do to fill your post at half your pay was to claim it couldn't find an American worker with the necessary skill. No proof needed.
Maybe you are struggling with a loss or a debilitating illness from which the doctors say there is no cure.
You know you should be thankful, especially on this holiday, but you are tired and discouraged. Where do you go from here?
Go to our history. The first Thanksgiving recorded here did not involve feasting or parties. The 38 English settlers who arrived at what is now known as Berkeley Plantation on Dec. 4, 1619, bowed the knee as their first official act in the new world and each year thereafter. It was part of the group's charter. This group faced hardships we can only imagine. Three years later, nine of these people were killed in an Indian massacre that wiped out one-third of the entire Virginia colony.
Nevertheless, they praised God for they knew that their ultimate future was secure. Christ never promised that we would be free from trials (John 16:33), but He promised we would overcome the world. His death paid the price for our sins. All we have to do to enjoy eternal life with Him is to repent (Luke 13:5) and believe (John 3:16). His resurrection is proof that His word can be trusted (John 14:2).
He also promised that He would be with us through our trials and give us the strength we need to carry on (Hebrews 13:5) if we will obey Him (John 8:54) and seek to do His will as revealed in His word (John 8:31).
Those amazing promises (not our lifestyle) are the basis for this holiday.
Surely, the problems that we face today are nothing compared to the ones that were faced by the men and women who sacrificed so much to give us this great country.
Certainly, we should be willing to do what is necessary to keep it. God gave us the instructions in II Chronicles 7:14.
"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land."
What does that mean? At the very least, we should remove all evildoers from our government. However, the job will be a little different for everyone.
Today, when you thank God and pray, don't get up until you ask Him for specific instructions. When He gives you something – and He will – simply follow through and leave the rest to Him.
The best part about being a Christian is that we're not responsible for the results. The results are God's job.
And for that I am truly thankful!
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