An enduring Word for uncertain times
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
Psalm 107:1
As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us look forward to familiar traditions: gathering with family, sharing a meal, and pausing to acknowledge God’s blessings.
Growing up, I remember Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house—having our fill of turkey, then gathering around the television to see whether the Cleveland Browns would best the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fond memories. There was much to be thankful for.
Yet gratitude can be harder to express when the future is uncertain or the year has brought sorrow. For some, this will be the first Thanksgiving following the loss of a spouse or another loved one. Others will gather with questions weighing on their hearts about a job, their health, or whether the harvest will be enough.
Where do we find words for thanksgiving then?
Plymouth Colony
William Bradford, one of Plymouth Colony’s early governors, understood the importance of remembering God’s care through difficult circumstances. Beginning in 1630, he recorded the settlers’ experiences in his historical account, Of Plymouth Plantation.
At the close of chapter 6, Bradford explained that he wanted their children to understand the difficulties their fathers had faced in those early beginnings and “how God brought them along notwithstanding all their weaknesses and infirmities.”
He wanted the next generation to remember both their struggles and God’s sustaining care.
Recounting the settlers’ arrival at Cape Cod in 1620, he described a people who had endured a dangerous ocean crossing—some succumbing to illness, others left weakened, and all still facing a very uncertain future. Winter lay ahead. Shelter and provisions remained pressing concerns.
Perseverance and Patience
The hardship of the winter that followed brought devastation and loss, which they endured with perseverance and patience. As spring approached, deaths began to decline, and the sick began to recover, bringing renewed life and encouragement to the survivors.
Reflecting on their vulnerability, Bradford described the source of their endurance: “it was the Lord which upheld them, and had beforehand prepared them; many having long borne the yoke, from their youth.”
It was the Spirit of God and His grace.
Give Thanks to the Lord
Elsewhere in his account, Bradford drew on biblical language, including Psalm 107, to recount their distress and call later generations to praise God. That psalm opens with an invitation to thanksgiving:
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.”
Psalm 107:1-3
The biblical account of distressed people crying to the Lord helped shape the way Bradford recounted their experience.
Written centuries before their voyage, the psalm gave Bradford words for the fears and mercies of his own generation.
It still speaks to ours.
Psalm 107 calls God’s people to remember His steadfast love, recount His deliverance, and give thanks for His wonderful works. Its scenes include hunger, wandering, affliction, and storms. Thanksgiving rises from people who have known their need and learned to look to the Lord.
That dependence appears again in the settlers’ history. In the summer of 1623, a severe drought threatened Plymouth’s crops. Edward Winslow recorded the community’s distress and its decision to set aside a day for prayer. When rain followed, they appointed another day to return thanks to God.
Sustaining Grace
Their experience reminds us to bring our needs before the Lord and remember His mercies. Scripture also teaches us to trust Him while we wait, when hardship continues, and when His answers differ from our desires. His goodness remains the foundation of our gratitude.
“ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4
James directs our joy toward what God produces through trials: steadfastness and maturity. Even while we grieve, we can thank Him for His sustaining grace and trust His continuing work in us.
The same Word that helped earlier generations understand their trials continues to teach and encourage us today. Through Scripture, we learn to recognize God’s goodness, trust His promises, and respond with thanksgiving—even in times of loss and uncertainty.
Growing Through God’s Word
At Covenant Ministries, we want to help people grow in that understanding through the regular study of God’s Word.
Each week, Engage invites readers to consider a passage of Scripture, reflect on its meaning, and respond in faith and obedience. Through Faithful Voices, we seek to extend that encouragement into the everyday life of following Christ.
This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for the opportunity to open His Word together. We thank God for every reader, contributing pastor, leader, and ministry partner who helps make that work possible.
The questions we bring may concern our families, our work, a difficult decision, or an uncertain future. Scripture teaches us to approach each one with a growing knowledge of God—His holiness, His mercy, His faithfulness, and the grace He has given us in Jesus Christ.
From Generation to Generation
As you gather around your table this Thanksgiving, consider sharing a passage of Scripture alongside a blessing you remember from this year. Give thanks for His provision, bring your burdens before Him, and encourage one another to trust His care.
The same Word that strengthened earlier generations continues to teach and encourage us today. As we turn to Scripture in prayer and praise, we join generations of believers who have trusted God through loss and uncertainty—and help the next generation learn to do the same.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21
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