Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, is the remembrance closest to the time of our Thanksgiving holiday. Like Thanksgiving, it is a time of gathering the harvest and typically a season of abundance in the Jewish year. During this time of plenty, God uses the celebration to remind the nation of Israel that they were once homeless and living in tents. During this festival, the people of God build three-sided, roofless shelters and live in these temporary structures throughout Sukkot.

When I think about the children of Israel traveling through the wilderness, living in temporary shelters, and enduring the hardships of their pilgrimage, I am reminded of the American Pilgrims we reflect on during Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims sought a place to worship God freely and to escape the persecution they faced in Europe. They were willing to sacrifice the comforts of civilization and risk life in an unfamiliar, potentially dangerous new land.

But persecution didn’t end with them. As we consider these historical examples of people who struggled for religious freedom, we are reminded that even today, people around the world are still persecuted for their faith. In many places, Christians continue to struggle to find a place to worship God. In some cases, they must give up their homes and risk their lives to obtain the freedom to worship—something we often take for granted.

As the people of God, we are always sojourners in this world. The writer of Hebrews reminds us:

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)

No matter our current circumstances, we have the hope of a glorious future that God has prepared for us. As it says in Revelation:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:3-4 ESV)

Today, as you take time to be thankful for the blessings God has given you, don’t forget the freedom we have to worship Him. Take a moment to pray for those around the world who are still struggling to find that same freedom. Finally, thank God for the hope of what is to come. We won’t always live in tents in the wilderness. A perfect and eternal dwelling with God awaits us.