Our early American leaders realized the importance of having a special day each year in which people could recount their blessings and express gratitude to God for all of His goodness. The first Thanksgiving was decreed by Governor Bradford in 1621 to commemorate the Pilgrims' harvest. Later George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789 as a national day of thanksgiving, but the holiday was not repeated on a national basis until Abraham Lincoln named it a national Harvest Festival on November 26, 1861. After that time, the holiday was proclaimed annually by the President and the governors of each state. Finally in 1941, Congress passed a bill naming the fourth Thursday of each November as Thanksgiving Day.
The first stanza of this hymn is an invitation and exhortation to give thanks to God for the heavenly care and provision of our earthly needs. The following stanza records the parable of the wheat and the tares. The final stanza is a prayer for our Lord to gather His people to His final harvest home.
Psalm 92:1 encourages us with these words - "It is a good things to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High." Carry this melody of thanksgiving with you throughout this week.
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