Thankful For Our Food

 Matthew 6:11

Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 15:36

36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

When people are asked about Thanksgiving, food is usually one of the main things that come to mind.  Gathering around the dinner table for a turkey dinner is considered the American standard.  Also, with the tone of Thanksgiving, that is usually the emphasis given, giving thanks for the “bounty before us.”  

While we have been talking about other things that we need to thank God for giving us, we do have to realize that one of the things He has given us is food itself.  At one point in time in American society, giving thanks for food was an everyday practice.  However, if you look at the society today, it is almost non-existent.  In fact, I know personally that when I have bowed my head in prayer to give thanks for food, that I am looked at as being awkward, or I have even been interrupted by other parties as it has seemed to become an unimportant thing in our society.  We have children that have grown up and when they experience prayer before a meal, they are shocked over it.  As a former youth pastor, I saw this many, many times and it shocked me.  During a church meal, they would literally have no idea what to do when we gathered for prayer before a meal.  

This should be alarming.  Jesus told us that if we are faithful in the small things, He would trust us with the larger things.  If we cannot remain consistent in giving thanks for something as small as our food, how can we maintain a heart of thanksgiving for everything else?

We must remember that as Christians, we are commanded to have a heart of thanksgiving.  Philippians 4:6 says, 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

If we are commanded to be in thanksgiving, then we should practice giving thanks for our food.  Now, am I preaching a legalistic practice of always praying before every meal?  Absolutely not.  What I am getting at though is that we do need to be thanking Him in prayer at some point in time for our daily provisions.  This should be a practice.  

If we look at the theme verses for today, we see that Jesus even gave us the example of giving thanks for food.  Before Jesus fed the five thousand and four thousand, the Bible declares that He gave thanks.  During the Last Supper, Jesus gave thanks for the bread as well.  Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, is the example of how we should live our life.

If He gave thanks, so should we.

Another point to this subject is that we as Christians should naturally not be thinking inwardly, but outwardly.  What do you mean?  Well, I remember when I was a kid, when there was something I wouldn’t eat, Mom would use the old adage, “Why don’t you think about the poor starving kids in other countries.”   Of course as a kid, my response was, “Well, they can have it.”  However as adults we realize the horror and the sadness behind this statement.  In fact, we as Christians should be thinking of those less fortunate, not just in other countries, but even in our own backyards.  Hunger is a battle that many deal with.  Both natural and spiritual.  What we as Christians realize is that God again has blessed us with an opportunity with food.  Christians can feed the hungry both physically and spiritually.

This Thanksgiving, let me challenge you to give the less fortunate.  Many food pantries are having large drives this year.  If you can donate, donate.  If you can volunteer, volunteer.  Let Christ work through you this Thanksgiving.  What better way to express your thankfulness to the Lord for providing you with food.

So, during this month of thanksgiving, let us be thankful in the small things as well as the large and let us give thanks for the daily bread that He gives us.