GIVE THANKS ALWAYS!

Matthew 14: 18-19 “Bring them here to me,” he said, And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. 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 the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people

My parents taught me my first prayer about giving thanks for the meal we were about to sit down to and eat. We all have heard the one that goes “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.” Some end there, .…ours added “God bless Mom, Dad, Bobby, then Ricky….etc et. al…..brothers will be brothers, when my brother said it the orders of names were switched. The sentiment was to pause to give thanks, not only for this meal, but for everything we have. We give thanks to God for every single blessing comes from Him.

In reading about Jesus feeding the large crowd with five rolls and a couple of fish, we see that in the midst of this wondrous thing, Jesus gave thanks. We do not know specifically what he was thankful for but we do know who he gave the thanks to….God the Father! Jesus always thanked God before meals, even the last supper. He knew His death was imminent on the cross, but He gave thanks. We too, are to give thanks, in all situations and occasions, to God for He is great and He is good. We thank Him for the sacrifice that was Jesus. We thank Him for sustaining us!

We need to pause, not only at meals, but as often as we can to give thanks. When you pray, do not go any further and begin with all you are thankful for to God.

“I thank God for my handicaps for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God.” Helen Keller