In World War II, a platoon sergeant received a letter from my mother back in the States. He writes, I was in France, a platoon sergeant in the Yankee Division under General Patton. About mid-December He received a letter from my mother back in the States.

“Can you remember,” she asked, “where you were on Thanksgiving Day?”

How could I forget the odd thing that happened that day. At dawn I was sent to check out a crossroads where an enemy strongpoint was suspected. Normally I would have had my men fan out so that they could move with the cover of the trees. But just before we started out that Thanksgiving morning, I stopped. I stood stark still, arguing with myself about what I should do.

Then, going strictly against the book, I walked my men right down the middle of a road in an exposed column. No one fired at us; there was no evidence of the enemy. We found the crossroads unoccupied and turned to walk back.

There, on the backside of the trees where only the German soldiers would have seen, were signs cautioning minen. (land mines) The woods were mined. We could have been blown to bits!

Mother’s letter continued. She told me how she awakened after midnight on Thanksgiving Eve when it would have been daylight in France:

“I had a strong feeling that you were in great danger,” she wrote. “When I opened my Bible, a phrase in 2 Chronicles 20:17 gleamed on the page: “Stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you…”

Stand ye still.

2Chronicles 20:17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

When you are in deep distress and overwhelmed by our circumstances we need to stand still and know our God is with us. When all hope is seemingly lost. That is when you and I can experience the salvation of the Lord.

Our platoon sergeant was in deep distress and overwhelmed by their circumstances that morning, he had a mission, he knew he must go, but safety was his issue he states, “I stopped. I stood stark still, arguing with myself about what I should do. Then, going strictly against the normal procedures, I walked my men right down the middle of a road in an exposed column.”

He needed to Stand still and know our God was with them. His mother at the same time was praying to God for son to be safe from harm and that God would be with him, it was even confirmed by the word of God when she was reading.  That is amazing! Our God is a great and mighty God.   Divine intervention.  By doing something totally against the norm he saved the lives of all his men that Thanksgiving day by walking them in a straight line and not having them go through the woods he avoided the land mines that were set there to take them out.

We should be overjoyed and filled with Thanksgiving when the Lord steps in and gives us a way out of our troubles, and we should desire to serve him in thankfulness for what he has done for us.  But are we?

Colossians 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

We are to be rooted in the Word of God so that our faith is unwavering just as we have been taught in His word. We show other that we stand for God.  We are also shown and taught in God Word that we should establish our faith. This means that our faith is a work in progress. God wants you and I to be rooted in the fundamentals of God’s word. To put it plainly, “What the Bible says is so, and God’s the author and I know, it will stand the test of time, changing hearts with love divine!”  We are to change from what we were to what he wants us to be.

 Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

In our letter we see one must have a prayer life and be watching to see what the Lord your God will do and realize that all good things come from heaven above and be thankful for what we receive.

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

When we pray, we should give thanks unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, because this is proper way to ask of our Holy God. When others pray in faithfulness for you.  We should always be thankful for what we receive no matter how big or small it is. Do all things without murmuring and disputing. Just be thankful.

Here is how we can give back to God

Psalms 26:7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

Once we receive your requests from the Lord, we should then be able to announce it to the world, tell everyone we meet all that the Lord has done for you and me. So, that they may have the opportunity to choose to follow your Lord and God.

This can occur in your local church

Psalms 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

As we come into the Church and experience God’s presence, we should make a joyful noise unto the Lord as we study and meditate with God’s word.

Psalms 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

Also, as we sing and make music with instruments unto the Lord do it with happiness, thanksgiving, and joy.

Revelations 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

By doing the above we end up giving blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor that is due to our sovereign Lord Jesus, who has given His all for you and me.

As we stand still and know and understand our God, we can only stand in awe of Him and His power, and might. God’s word and the God of the word will continue for ever and ever. That is His might and power on display. Amen.

You have just heard a story from a platoon sergeant in World War II that experienced a divine intervention occurring on a day when we celebrate thanksgiving. A true Thanksgiving Day blessing that he was ever grateful for, saved from death.  Amen!

Jesus saved you from death, we can be thankful for that!

John 3:16 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. Selah. Amen!