Today in 1789, President George Washington declared this (a Thursday) to be the first national Thanksgiving Day. It was periodically proclaimed by continuing presidents until in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln inaugurated the practice of setting aside the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

This has always been a day of thanking God for the many blessings that He so abundantly pours on us. It wasn’t until much later when it became more of a day for our president to pardon a turkey than it was to give thanks to our Creator for daily bestowing His benefits.

If you watch the news, then you have probably seen that our president has issued his first pardon since he came into office. This is a tradition that the holder of this office does every year. Our leader has the power to pardon anyone from any crime committed under the jurisdiction this country.

What power this one man holds. He has the authority to totally remove any penalty of wrong and by law one can never charge that person for the same offense again. If you know me, then you probably know where I’m going with this. It is very easy to see how the Master of the Universe has a greater power to pardon every wrong within His domain. God has always been the giver of all good things and since the dawn of creation He has been constantly giving pardons and offering restoration.

I want you to see something that flows from that benevolence. You and I have also been given the power to pardon another from the wrongs that have been done to us. It is so powerful a law that God has committed into our hands that He even says that if we don’t forgive, then our Heavenly Father cannot forgive us.

Each one of use has someone in our past and maybe even present that we need to forgive. Make this a day of pardoning someone from the hurt that they have done to you. Then thank your Father for giving you that authority to forgive and express your thankfulness to Him for forgiving yours. “Our Father, …forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…for Yours is the power and the glory forever, Amen. ”

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him and I am helped. Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.
Psalm 28:7