Luke 22:17-19 reads, “And He took a cup, and when he had given thanks He said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’”
Offering thanks to God is a staple for Christian life. This week is the Thanksgiving holiday, a secular American tradition in which many will offer reflections about how thankful they are for all the things they have over a meal, often with family. This extends to schools and workplaces and builds community. In today’s digital world, there is true joy in this act where we put the phone away for a moment and enjoy something real together and be thankful for it.
God provides. Do you know how much you mean to God? In Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
God cares about the sparrows, but we see them as virtually worthless. We do not notice them, and their value is less than a penny. How much does He care about you? Imagine that one proverbial uncle you will see on Thanksgiving who seems to know the statistics for every player on their favorite sports team. It boggles the mind to think about how much he has invested in this fandom. That is how God is about you. He knows every stat you have and is your biggest fan for when you are doing righteousness. He cares for you to a degree we cannot comprehend that makes your uncle’s fandom look like a forgotten weekend chore project. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-33:
“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God rains these blessings down and gives us the opportunity to live our lives. A few weeks ago, I wrote another article about how the church will take care of its members because God has set it up in such a way that no member of God’s church should ever not have their basic needs met. Jesus knew this and used His life and the lives of His apostles as examples of how thankful we should be. Jesus gave thanks to God. He gave thanks for food (Matthew 14:19), He gave thanks for how we receive His teachings (Matthew 11:25), He gave thanks for miracles He could do (John 11:41). Jesus was thankful for what He had in the time He was with us.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, praises them in their reasonableness, and extends that gentle and forbearing spirit into prayer to God in which they should offer not only their requests of God, but their thanks to God. In that prayer they receive peace, a guarded heart, and a mind focused on Him. I wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
Lance Byers