Good morning!
Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.”
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting. (1 Chronicles 16:34-36)
During Thanksgiving season, family members from far come and join together to eat Thanksgiving meal, and to share lives of the past days with each other. For some of them, this particular year might be hard and difficult. However, when we get together, we all forget things of the past, whether they were painful or joyful. In Him, we are connected through the love of Jesus Christ, and become hearers of other family members while giving out support to each other. At the end of the day, all believers together say “give thanksgiving to God because his love endures forever.”
Perhaps the most significant thanksgivings given to God by Moses and the Israelites was their praise to God right after they crossed the red sea:
“I will sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
“The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
shattered the enemy.
…
The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.” (Exodus 15:1-6, 18)
The Israelites saw the corps of Egyptians. When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the LORD brought the water crashing down on them. However, the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground! This was the moment that the entire Israelites were saved from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Yes, God utterly demolished Egypt, and the Israelites were freed. The LORD, our God is sovereign over absolutely everything including the Egyptians who put the Israelites in misery of the slavery for four hundred years. At a blink moment, the entire Egyptian army was swept by a huge wave, and they sank to the depths like a stone. Praise the LORD! His name will be glorified forever, and the LORD reigns for ever and ever.
Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, also took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. And Miriam sang this song:
“Sing to the LORD,
for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
into the sea.” (Exodus 15:21b)
The Miriam’s song would have been continuing forever while giving thanks to God as a perpetual memory that should not be forgotten generation after generation. Sadly, this excitement and thanksgiving to God did not last long. Only three days later, they could not find water to drink. Their mouth was filled with complaints. They immediately turned against Moses, who led them out of the misery in Egypt. Thus, Moses cried out to God, and God provided water to the Israelites to drink although they did not deserve. How gracious God is! He is full of mercy and love.
Yes, it did not take many days or even months, but only three days for the Israelites to forgot the rare experiencing the unforgettable miracle of crossing the red sea. It clearly reflected the tragedy of human hearts. The Israelites were humans, and we are also. Then how long would it take for us to forget such unforgettable miracle in our lives?
Our lives are full of miracles. Knowing and believing God alone is the most never-ending miracle. Even our existence itself is the undeniable miracle. His guidance and protection are the source of the miracles in our lives. Before God, the Israelites’ real and eminent fear of the quickly approaching Egyptian army was utterly destroyed at His fingertip. The Egyptian army was drawn in the red sea, and sank to the depths like a stone. The mighty and huge army was no more, because the almighty God sided with the Israelites. The God, who saved and protected against the Egyptian army, is on our side. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Amen! In all these things we will be more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Therefore, we sing to him with praise and thanksgiving!
With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
“He is good;
his love toward Israel endures forever.”
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord (Ezra 3:11)