A republican form of government that derives power from the people? check. System of checks and balances?Check. Dual track of federalism? check. Respect for natural law and fundamental rights?Check.
However, one key element remained in place for the Founders to successfully establish this country. It was God's providence and blessing that they universally considered to be the most important factor in uniting and prospering as a nation. To secure that blessing, America's founders believed that the new nation had a responsibility to publicly acknowledge, proclaim, and thank God for the blessings already bestowed upon it.
The challenges facing us today are too great for any human plan to overcome. We must return to the one course of action that has always sustained this country.
The Bible inspired the concept, timing, and customs of Thanksgiving. The Jewish holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Feast of the Gathering, was celebrated each fall to thank God for the success of the harvest and to acknowledge God's providence as a source of blessing. During this time, the Israelites prayed for rain as they were preparing for a new rainy season to nourish the land for the next year's harvest. This practice emphasized that all existing blessings were from God and that future success depended on being worthy of God's continued blessings. Devout Jews around the world now celebrate this holiday, which falls in late September or early October.
On September 25, 1789, the newly formed Congress passed a resolution asking President George Washington to declare a “day of public humiliation and prayer.” As Roger Sherman stated, this day of prayer and thanksgiving was intended to recreate “the solemn thanksgiving and rejoicing that took place in the time of Solomon after the construction of the Temple.” The celebration mentioned in 1 Kings took place during the Feast of Tabernacles after the fall harvest.
George Washington issued the proclamation on October 3, and it was to be complied with on November 26 of the same year. This day of public prayer was intended to beseech God to “forgive national and other sins” and “promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue.”
Notably, as a lasting rebuttal to today's ultra-secular fanatics, the House of Representatives passed this resolution on the very same day it approved the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights, and the “Respect for Establishments of Religion” law This guarantees that it will not be enacted. Although the founders sought to protect individuals from being forced to practice a particular religion, they also recognized the importance of promoting voluntary public gratitude to God. They understood the need for divine providence, just as nations depended on their military and economy.
President William McKinley echoed this sentiment in his 1899 Thanksgiving Proclamation. He advised:
On this day, religious exercises are carried out in churches or meeting halls of all denominations, so that their true importance is not lost in the social features of the day, but to the Most High for their continuation. Prayers will be offered. This is because without God's guidance, human efforts will be in vain, and it is also God's comfort to relatives and friends who sacrificed their lives for their country.
McKinley used Thanksgiving to express his gratitude for those who sacrificed for his country, but also emphasized the day's focus on “religious exercises.” After 120 years, an unelected judge is now exercising the power to ban public prayer and remove a 92-year-old World War I monument. If President Washington had declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in today's day and age, federal judges might have declared it “unconstitutional” under the guise of extremism.
It is clear that we need God's blessings now more than ever.
This year, it is difficult to hide the reality of cultural depravity and the seemingly irreversible nature of our political system. Our current government is in direct opposition to the founding virtues that Thanksgiving is supposed to celebrate. But we must remember that the forces on earth that are destroying our country have no real power in themselves. This conviction that we are solely in God's hands remains a profound cause for gratitude.
Calvin Coolidge expressed this sentiment in his 1923 Thanksgiving Proclamation. “Even in the most unfavorable times, a broad contemplation of our whole position never fails to reveal overwhelming reasons for gratitude.” Similarly, Abraham Lincoln's 1863 proclamation (for the first time) (which established Thanksgiving on its current date) found hope and gratitude in the midst of a “civil war of unparalleled scope and severity.”
As we reflect on recent natural disasters, we are reminded of our vulnerability and our place in God's hands. We may believe we have everything under control, but ultimately we are not responsible. As Proverbs 19:21 says, “There are many plans in a man's heart, but the purpose of the Lord prevails.”
The challenges facing us today are too great for any human plan to overcome. We must return to the only course of action that has always sustained this nation: recognizing and seeking the blessings of the One who bestows them.
“If my people, who are called by my name, 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 sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles) 7:14).
Let us lift up our prayers and turn to the Lord, just as our ancestors did in the first Thanksgiving proclamation of the Continental Congress on November 1, 1777. It is to gratefully acknowledge our obligation to God for the blessings we have received and to beg for the additional blessings we need. ”
Editor's note: A version of this article first appeared in Conservative Review as “Do we still want God's blessings?” November 22, 2017.
