We Gather Together

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. 

~Psalms 69:30

As a child, one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving was the song we sang at school; We Gather Together.  We weren't told very much of it's background just that it points us to God and his provision for us. That's a big deal, but as an adult, I wanted to know more. Was this a song sung by the Pilgrims? When was it written and by whom? What was its purpose? 

Here's the song we sang at school. We must have sung it repeatedly because I still remember most of the words 60-plus years later. 

Theodore Baker, 1894

Verse 1:
We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Verse: 2
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

Verse 3:
We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

The verses seem to fit perfectly with all the Pilgrims faced - persecution in England, flight to Holland, and then feeling the necessity of going to America because their children were becoming too Dutch. So what is the background of this beautiful Thanksgiving hymn? 

The Dutch were at war with the Spanish in 1597 when an unknown author penned the words, which are not exactly the same as the English. Be that as it may, Adrianus Valerius collected Dutch folk songs and put them to music. His son published the collection in 1626, the year after Valerius's death. Though the Pilgrims may have known the song, they would have associated it with the war with Spain. It was in Dutch, not English. They were separatists seeking freedom of worship, not war. 

That leads us to the next question: How did the song get here, and in English? More research led me to the New Amsterdam colony in New York. These Dutch colonists brought the song early in the 17th Century. It wasn't until 1894 that Theodore Baker translated it into English and Latin. It then began to be published in American hymnals in the early 20th Century. 

Regardless of the song's origins, I still think it's an appropriate song with which to praise the name of God and magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Heavenly Father, thank you for creating songs. They are so easy to remember. Thank you, that you have allowed men to write songs that praise you and magnify your name because there is no other name above You. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Research often seems so boring but when we are researching things we really want to know the task is not so tedious.

Do you have a favorite song? 

Maybe you're already singing Christmas songs.

Why did someone write your favorite song? 

When did they write it?

Is it still serving the same purpose or like We Gather Together, has it taken on a new meaning?

 

If My People

 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land. ~II Chronicles 7:14 KJV

Many people have prayed, I among them, and agonized over the condition of our country, especially over the last few months. Many breathed a sigh of relief and felt the answer to those prayers, but friends prayer warriors should not let down their guard and say,"Oh, the battle is over. We can relax now." On the contrary, there is yet much work to do and prayers to be prayed. 

One of the things the Lord has laid on my heart is a return to reading God's word—not just reading but studying it so that we know how to humble ourselves and pray for God's forgiveness and direction for our nation.

This week I offer a short reading on which you can easily expand, a thought and a prayer for each day. This, the week before our Thanksgiving, is a great time to start reading and studying our Bibles in preparation of humbling ourselves to give true Thanksgiving for all God's blessings on our families and our nation. 

Monday Reading:
      Exodus 36:5,6 The people were so excited about the work of the Tabernacle that they brought more than was needed. Moses had to give a command to stop bringing things for the Tabernacle.

What a wonderful situation to find ourselves in. When has the offering ever been too much? When has a congregation been so excited about God's work that they had to be told their gifts were enough?

Heavenly Father, at this season of Thanksgiving, may our thankfulness for all you have done be demonstrated in the enthusiasm we show in working for Your kingdom. May Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Tuesday Reading
       Exodus 37:1, 10, 25, 29 These verses demonstrate the responsibilities of Bezaleel. God chose him to do a mighty work but he is actually an unknown figure. His faithfulness to his calling has affected the understanding and worship of God for millions of people for thousands of years.

Can others look at my work and see my faithfulness to God's calling? Is my faithfulness or lack thereof affecting others? Surely everything we do affects others.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me a work to do. Help me to be faithful to Your calling regardless of how much or how little credit I receive. You must increase and I must decrease. Be glorified, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Wednesday Reading:
      Exodus 38:8 The women brought their brass mirrors to make the brass laver, a place for the priests to wash their hands. Have you ever noticed women when they pass a mirror, even in a store? We have to stop and check ourselves.  Beautiful hair, clothes, and make-up can all be a mess if a woman doesn't have a mirror to check herself. The women of Israel gave their most prized possession. They humbled themselves before God, putting aside their vanity for the building of the place of worship.

Heavenly Father, please open my eyes to the things I put before worship, before praise, before witnessing. Help me to humble myself for Your work. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Thursday Reading:
       Exodus 39: 18. The names of the tribes of Israel covered the priest's heart and his shoulders bore the weight.

Are God's people on my heart? Are the lost on my heart? Do I have a burden for people or do I just complain about the situation?

Heavenly Father help me carry a burden for repentance among Your people and a burden to see the lost saved. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Friday Reading:
      Exodus 40:34. The people had followed God's directions. They had set up the tabernacle in God's order and He had descended on it. He guided their way day and night.

When our lives are clean God abides and directs our way. When we allow sin to enter in the Spirit departs until our lives are clean-forgiven. I John 1:9. We cannot do a work for God if we harbor sin .

Heavenly Father, direct my path that I might walk in Your way. May my life be pleasing unto You. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

 This week join your parents in the study of the Tabernacle.

There are online kits to build replicas that give you a better idea of how things looked and worked. 

If you aren't able to order a kit check out the pictures on line. Ask questions. Consider what you could have given in building the tabernacle. 

Consider what you can do today to help build God's kingdom. 

What's in a Name?

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.~ Genesis 2:19

 

Walking through our wooded neighborhood, I noticed an Eastern towhee flitting through the pine brush. He was joined by others, chickadees, wrens, and a cardinal. Bluebirds lit on the fence post. I could hear crows calling in the distance and the fuss of a bluejay. Then it struck me how many birds I can name. Is that important? 

Did you name your dog or pet? Do you know the names of your neighbors' pets? Why? Is it because they have names? You are familiar with them. You care for them. They are important to you. God wanted the animals and birds to be important to Adam. He gave the responsibility to Adam to care for His creation.  Farmers often do not name the animals they plan to sell to the market. Why? They don't want to be attached. 

Do you know your neighbor's name? I can see a house through the trees whose occupants I have never met. How cold is that word, Occupant?  They live and work and probably go to school. They have days of health and sickness and accidents I never know about. Maybe one day I will see a lot of cars or a white wreath on the door. I don't know their names but God does. He sees. He cares. He knows their names. He cares if they know Him. 

How did I learn the names of the birds? I set out birdfeeders. I listened to their calls. I became familiar with them. I have seen pictures of people feeding wild birds from their hands. I have fed and tamed feral cats. Getting to know the birds and animals is such a joy but it takes time. They won't eat out of our hands at first. They need to know we care about them before they trust us. 

It's the same with people. We have to be friendly with others, get to know them, and show we care before they trust us, before they are willing to hear what we have to say. What do we have to say? It's simple. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.~John 3:16

Just as God knows the name and number of the stars, He knows each person by name. 

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Psalms 137:4

He wants to help others trust Him. We are the ones he uses to help others learn of Him. We are the ones He uses to draw others to Him. 

Father God, please help me introduce myself to others. Help me show others I care about them. Help me show the simple love of Jesus to all I come in contact with. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

 

Do you have a favorite animal or pet? What are their names? 

What are the names of your friends? 

Are there others whose names you do not know?

Try introducing yourself this week. Make a new friend. 

Friendships are opportunities to help them know about the best Friend, Jesus. 

God's Patterns

 

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1 KJV

 Fractals— never heard of them until this fall. Fractal is a comparatively new term coined in 1975 by Benoit Mandelbrot. It's from Latin meaning broken or fractured. We've always seen fractals, we just didn't use that term. God used fractals in Creation.