Sacrifice That Honors God
How can you honor God today?
Verse of the Day
‘But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”’
Today’s Devotional
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve used this story for Thanksgiving before. I was going to use something different this year, but this true story tugs at my heart and is worth revisiting. It captures the essence of the heart posture that truly honors God.
So…today I bring you the story of a Native American Indian named Squanto. His name was actually Tisquantum, but Squanto seems to be his nickname. Squanto was born sometime around 1580 in current-day Massachusetts and was a member of the Pawtuxet tribe. Two times in his life, he was captured and taken to Europe. The first capture happened so that some Europeans could see what the “natives” looked like. He ended up with an Englishman who taught Squanto the English language, and eventually he ended up back in his home land. The second capture was to sell him and others into slavery in Spain. He escaped from his slavers and lived with some monks for a few years, who continued to teach him the English language. Eventually, he made his way back to North America in 1619, only to find out that his entire tribe had died from smallpox. He was the only Pawtuxet left. He then went to live with a nearby tribe, the Wampanoags.
Sometime in early 1621, Squanto was introduced to the Pilgrims from the Mayflower. These people, from the land of those who had kidnapped him twice, were weak with malnutrition and disease from living aboard the Mayflower during their first winter in North America.
What would you do in this situation? Would you help them?
Squanto did. Here is an excerpt from History.com: “Squanto taught the Pilgrims, weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped the settlers forge an alliance with the Wampanoag, a local tribe, which would endure for more than 50 years and tragically remains one of the sole examples of harmony between European colonists and Native Americans.”
Squanto’s kidnappings gave him the ability to speak English. His ability to speak the language of both the Pilgrims and the Indians paved the way for the first settlers to survive. Without him, only God knows what might have happened.
Given the many tragedies of his life, Squanto had every right to seek vengeance on the people from the Mayflower. But that was not the choice he made. He chose peace. He chose to help and be of service to others who were different from him. He chose forgiveness. He chose actions that display love.
Today, on a holiday that started because of a celebration for the harvest of 1621 – all because of an Indian named Squanto – I wonder if I am truly offering God the sacrifice of gratitude of a truly surrendered heart. The kind of heart that forgives. The kind of heart that helps others to better themselves, even when I have every reason not to. The kind of heart that does not allow the tragedies of life to make me bitter.
Consider the outcome of the decision to have a feast of celebration and thanksgiving. The English settlers had no idea that their choice to celebrate and give thanks would become a national holiday that is still celebrated 400 years later. But after a very difficult voyage and significant struggles in setting up a new community that would sustain them, they knew that the harvest that fall was special. They knew they needed to give thanks to God and celebrate in a way that fostered community.
Let’s follow their example, whether we are at the end, beginning, or middle of a difficult journey. Let’s choose to celebrate and give thanks to God in way that honors His blessings and binds us in community with one another.
Today, may we offer an unending sacrifice of thanks and praise to the God who made this day possible.
Today’s Gratitude Challenge 1: In addition to a heartfelt gratitude list on our day of Thanksgiving, what food are you thankful for? It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving food. In Genesis 9:3, God tells us “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” Our food is a gift from God. And our eating should be done with gratitude for God’s provision of sustenance. And sense we have mentioned other senses in previous days, are you grateful for your sense of taste?
Today’s Gratitude Challenge 2: How and why are you grateful for comfort? What brings you comfort or a sense of coziness? Whether it’s a much-needed hug from a loved one or a pair of fuzzy socks on a cold day or your favorite t-shirt, how are you grateful for the things and people who bring you comfort?
Journal Prompt
If giving thanks is a sacrifice that honors God, then what are you grateful for today?
What food or foods are you grateful for? How are you grateful for your sense of taste?
How and why are you grateful for comfort?