“I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.” Psalm 116:17
Great Sacrifice
Walk His Way Revisited
No one knew “the sacrifice of Thanksgiving” more than the pilgrims. Some 100 people seeking religious freedom set sail on The Mayflower from England to the New World in September, 1620. More than half of them died the first winter, due to lack of food and being ill-prepared for the harshest of weather.
Many of us sacrifice little or nothing to maintain our religious freedom. The pilgrim survivors fought then for what we now enjoy, and although our freedom has been challenged on more than a few occasions, we still worship freely.
The word sacrifice in Hebrew is zebach and is defined a thank offering. At the heart of the first Thanksgiving was a feast where the pilgrims offered thanks following their time of heartache and sacrifice.
In biblical times, a thank-offering was offered for three reasons: for deliverance from distress, death or sickness (see Psalms 50:23, 107:21-22, 56:12-13, 116:17); following a vow (see Psalms 7:17, 66:13-14); or at times for religious renewal (see 2 Chronicles 29:31, 33:15-16, Jeremiah 17:26, 33:11.) The thank-offering was presented with an animal sacrifice and was accompanied by bread, wafers and cakes. The priest, also, shared in this meal.
We have SO MUCH to be thankful for! May we keep in mind during our thank-offering the ultimate SACRIFICE for our freedom: You, Jesus!
Lord, may our focus be on You and You alone. Help us to see all that we have to be thankful for in our present distresses, and may we come to You with a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Amen.