Giving Thanks

God created food to be received with prayers of thanks by those who believe and know the truth. Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks. God’s word and prayer set it apart as holy.
1 Timothy 4:3b-5 GWT

There are so many ads and commercials about which foods are good, which foods are bad, which ones never to eat. I'm sure you've seen them. FIVE foods to never eat if you have arthritis and another has the FIVE foods you SHOULD eat. Yes, grains. No grains. 

Low carb, no carb, no meat, carnivore, no fruit, all fruit and veggies. And let's not even start to talk about dairy and what is and isn't. 

The Bible warns against gluttony. Unless you have an allergy of some kind, I'd say moderation in all other things, dietary and life. However, in all things, remember God created food to be received with prayers of thanks by those who believe and know the truth. Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks. God’s word and prayer set it apart as holy.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for all the wonderful and delicious provisions You have made for our sustenance. Thank You for taste buds to enjoy them all. Thank You for Your Word to instruct us in all things. Help us to be mindful of them all, even in saying Grace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Fillers

For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalm 107:9

Have you ever been so hungry that you would grab the first thing available to eat? Bread, crackers, a piece of cheese. Whatever you can grab that's quick and ready now to tide us over. Then we get too full on the fillers and don't take in the nourishment from a proper supper. Maybe you missed lunch and by the time you got in the door that evening, you were not interested in taking the time to fix a proper meal. Maybe you called something in and picked it up on the way home rather than wait. The truth is that most Americans don't know what true hunger feels like. We know what it's like to want something, and often, we'll settle for anything.

Do we do the same in our relationship with God? We're hungry for something but we settle for anything. We don't want to wait, so we fill up on the spiritual equivalent of chips or crackers and then there's no room for the meat of His Word, the Bread of Life. Psalm 34:8a NLT, invites us to Taste and see that the Lord is good. 

Prayer:

Father,

          Your Word in Matthew 5:6 (NKJV), assures us that Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. We choose to follow Psalm 27:14 - to wait upon You, Lord. You're SO worth it! Help us to not settle for less than You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Feeding Time

A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:13-15 NLT

If you want to get people talking, ask them what tradition makes it Thanksgiving for them. Even if they don't have fond memories of childhood gatherings, they usually DO have fond wishes of what they thought should be part of it. And I've never seen it fail that once that conversation starts, it usually progresses into the weirdest recipe ever used to serve turkey leftovers, with everyone in agreement that by the third day, they're done with turkey. They don't want to look at another piece of turkey, let alone eat it again.

I know lots of people who will not eat leftovers - ever - no matter what it is. They're a one-time only eater. As a general rule of thumb, I don't mind leftovers. In fact, some things taste better the next day - pot roast, chili, meatloaf sandwiches - but, I don't want a daily diet of leftovers and I don't know anyone who does. Do you?

And yet, many people eat leftovers every day. You know them. They're the ones who can't, or won't, trust God because they're still chewing on leftover disappointments. Still picking their teeth with sticks and stones from the past. They can't hear the kind words that are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body (Proverbs 16:24) because they're still full from yesterday's generous helpings of bitterness that they're trying to digest. By the same token, many can't take in the goodness of God because they've filled up on garbage.

What are you hungry for? Will you be wise or foolish in your choices? Do you want something fresh from Heaven or something that's been laying around for years? It's feeding time. What will you feed on today?

Prayer:

Father,
          Your Word declares that You sent Your Son to set at liberty those who are held captive. It declares that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Open our eyes and our hearts to understand and embrace the TRUTH of Your Word over the experiences of our lives. We want more of You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen