Now is the time of year that many in the United States begin to think about Thanksgiving. We are thankful for many physical blessings like safe neighborhoods, freedom of travel, abundant harvests, good jobs, and comfortable homes.

The United States was founded on the idea that immigrants could come to this country and make something of themselves. They could obtain a parcel of land and become home and landowners with virtually no outlay of money, a tremendous transition from poverty to wealth. This was a concept unheard of in most countries.

Those who first settled in America didn’t come just for the land and new opportunities. Many came to flee religious persecution, and the most famous were the Pilgrims.

In 1620 they arrived on the shores of New England. During a very difficult first winter many died, but the following spring, they planted crops and that fall celebrated their first harvest with a great feast that lasted three days. They were very thankful to God for bringing them through that first year.

They knew that God was the giver of these physical blessings. They also knew that their spiritual blessings came from God. Being able to worship God according to how they understood the Bible was the motivation for their journey to what would become the American colonies and then, the United States.

They wanted to live their lives, raise their children, and worship God in the way they felt the Bible led them. They read the Bible and passed on instruction from generation to generation, in the end, risking their lives in a new land in order to preserve this heritage, though they were not the first to do so.

Many centuries before, the apostle Paul traveled from city to city to preach the Word of God, and at times, some townspeople were not pleased to allow Paul to preach what he did. They ran him out of the city and tried to stone him (Acts 14:19). He continued preaching and was brought before the government authorities in Israel, and later before the governing bodies in Rome. But even this didn’t deter Paul. He preached about the Kingdom of God even while he was in prison (Acts 28:23). The truth of God's way of life was so important to him that he risked his life to bring that message to all whom he encountered.

The Pilgrims, the apostle Paul, and many people in between risked their lives to pursue freedom of worship. We are the recipients of their determination today and have the freedom to obey God according to the direction of the Bible. Freedom of religious worship is not something to take lightly. Many people in the world don't have this blessing and put their lives at risk daily by simply possessing a scripture on a scrap of paper.

Even those of us in the United States must not take this freedom lightly. In the last few years, we have seen many parts of our religious freedoms chipped away at the edges, and we could lose this freedom very quickly.

On Thanksgiving, remember to give thanks to God for the many physical blessings that you have. God is the giver of every good and precious gift (James 1:17). Also, do not forget to give thanks to God for the ability to worship in truth, peace and harmony, and to pray for those who can not.

Thank Him for your parents who have taught you who God is. Thank God for the opportunity to own a Bible, attend Sabbath services, and to live according to His way of life. These are tremendous blessings, never to be taken for granted.