A little boy of six was invited to his neighbor’s home for a meal. As soon as all were seated at the table the food was served. The little boy was puzzled, and with a child’s frankness asked, “don’t you say a prayer before you eat?” The host was uncomfortable and mumbled, “No, we don’t take time for that.” The boy thought silently for a while, and said, “you’re just like my dog, you just dive right in.”
Do you ever dive in to something without the Lord? I think we can all agree that 2020 was not what we expected. We all have our stories. Whatever your journey has been it does not change the goodness of God.
You don’t give thanks if you don’t believe someone deserves the thanks. Thanksgiving is awareness of who God is and what He has done. It does not mean we don’t recognize there are difficulties, it just means we stand upon a greater reality. God is on the throne and deserves praise!
“and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
For Christians, Thanksgiving is not our only time to give thanks. Rather for us it is ours to LIVE IT all year long. It is a way of life for a believer.
I believe that Jesus Himself set the tone. In verse 24 it says, “and when He had given thanks, He broke it.” The verb thanks in this text is the verb from which we derive the word Eucharist, a Greek verb for thanks or thanksgiving. Eucharist is the word that is often used for the Lord’s Table. I want you to capture this picture. The opening words in verse 23 tells us it was during the night in which He was betrayed. It was on that night, “He took bread and when He had given thanks...”
He is standing in the midst of being betrayed. He is standing in the face of the Cross, which He is fully aware is forthcoming. To the disciples, however, it’s beyond their ability to fathom. And Jesus is giving thanks. Jesus is not standing there saying, “What is ahead of me is going to be unimaginable in pain and terror.” Nor is he complaining about the betrayer that is with him. You could say it this way…
If Jesus showed us to give thanks in the midst of betrayal, pain and terror, than Jesus showed us to give thanks in the midst of political unrest, viruses, and whatever else you want to add to the list.
Thanksgiving is a prelude to power!
I love the story of Jesus and the feeding of the multitudes.
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ”
The first thing and only thing He did was give thanks. He never commented on the amount or worried that it wasn’t enough. He disciplined himself to not speak those thoughts. The power of God came and multiplied the loaves and fish. We see a habit in the life of Jesus that is very rare today. Thanksgiving! He looked up and gave thanks and heaven responded. He lifted up His eyes to give thanks for 5 loaves of bread and fish and heaven responded and fed 5000 men, plus woman and children.
This was a visitation, not an intervention. There was no great noise or earthquake. There were twelve baskets full with doggy bags to go. He gave thinks and is showing us how to LIVE IT!
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.”
With all that God has done for us ingratitude is inappropriate for a believer. Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
All over the Bible God encourages us to be thankful in whatever you do. Gratitude will change the atmosphere in your workplace, in your home, in your churches and everywhere you go. Don’t live with the idea that you’ll be grateful “when.” If you aren’t grateful now, you won’t be grateful then. If you can’t be thankful with little, what makes us think we will be thankful with big.
You don’t thank if you don’t believe someone deserves the thanks. Thanksgiving is awareness of who God is and what He has done. It does not mean we don’t realize that there are difficulties it just means that we stand upon a greater reality. God is on the throne and deserves praise!
May we be marked as people of gratitude. Let thanksgiving be on our lips. I don’t want to be known as someone who causes division. I don’t want to be known as someone that is not grateful. I want to be known as someone who trusts God, and in all things gives Him thanks!