It’s Friday…It’s A Simple Act

Many of us will have much to eat in the coming days. Nearly every time the Gospels mention Jesus eating, they mention that He gives thanks. That was the case when He fed multitudes with only a handful of food to start with, and that was the case at His Last Supper. Knowing He was about to die, He gave thanks for the sustenance of His life. He still gave thanks for the food that would not have enough time to breakdown to build muscle and strengthen bones, yet was still worthy of His gratitude. Yes, giving thanks was part of the Passover ritual, but Jesus never did rituals without maintaining their integrity in His heart. When God provided the basics of life, He was grateful. Always.

It’s A Simple Act, but it has profound implications. A heart that is truly grateful for the basics of life is a heart at peace with its Creator. Even when chaos and danger swirl around us, as it did that night with Jesus, gratitude is appropriate. Even when we are about to go into the garden and desperately plead with God to change His plan, as Jesus was about to do, gratitude is appropriate. Regardless of what is going on in our lives at any given moment, this fact is clear: We have been given life by a generous Giver, and His providence surrounds us daily. If we don’t think so, we haven’t opened our eyes.

We will take our next breath only if God provides it. We will eat our next meal only if God gives it. We will see our next sunset, cherish our closest loved one, drink in the beautiful landscape, and feel the coolness of the breeze only if God lets us. While our human hearts take God’s goodness for granted, He remains good. He often lavishes His blessings on those who will never see or acknowledge them, yet He lavishes anyway. That’s the kind of Giver He is.

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples.” (Mathew 26:26)

Let’s give thanks today, and in the days to come, not just for our bread, but for everything. Let’s look out a window and thank Him for light. Let’s look at ourselves and thank Him for life. Most of all, let’s look at Jesus and thank Him for the body and the blood for which He Himself gave thanks. Let’s do it. If He did, so should we.

Have a grateful weekend, and week. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who don’t forget the simple act of expressing gratitude to Him, it’s like every breath they take.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)