And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8
Here in America we just celebrated thanksgiving; the holiday that commemorates when the Pilgrims and the Native Americans came together to have a feast celebrating that the Pilgrims had made it through a tough winter, had been befriended by the Native Americans and now they were giving thanks to God for bringing them through…
The Pilgrims were no strangers to suffering. They had moved from England to Holland to worship as they chose; only to find that after rooting up their lives that Holland was not a great place to worship as they chose. So they had started to look for other options… After being cheated out of their fair by one captain, they finally found another Captain of a ship who agreed to take them to the new world. They stepped out in faith trusting God would see them safely through. He did; despite sailing at just about the worst time of year, none of the pilgrims lost their lives on the voyage over.
However, their trials were not yet over. The Pilgrims arrived in America at the onset of a brutal New England winter. It was very cold, and their food stores were running low. Malnourishment caused many of them to fall ill and die. Still, the remaining ones persevered. That was when God brought Squanto, an English-speaking Native American into their lives. Squanto and the other Native Americans in his tribe befriended the Pilgrims and taught them how to wrest a living from this new land.
Can you imagine being one of the Pilgrims? Here you are just trying to put your faith first, trying to build a new life to worship God in the way you feel is biblical and setback after setback occurs. The pilgrims had to have taken to heart the verse, “In this world, ye shall have trials and tribulations but take heart for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The Pilgrims had to have questioned God that first winter, while they watched loved one after loved one perish; but instead of turning their backs on God, and trying to find the quickest boat home, they continued to build the life to which they believed God had called them. God rewarded them. He blessed their efforts. A while later they were able to celebrate a bountiful harvest and a friendship with new people. The pilgrims had lived Paul’s words in Philippians 4:11&12, where Paul says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (NIV)
It is so easy to praise God when things are good, but it is much harder to genuinely believe that God is still the loving father He professes to be when your family is starving and dying- but He still is! Could the Pilgrims have truly built a new life if they hadn’t been put through the refining fire? Would they have had the grit to handle the rest of the challenges they would face building a new civilization? God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. The pilgrims believed this- do you?
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