Giving Thanks for More than the Food

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

— Psalm 106:1

One of the favorite holidays in American and Canadian cultures is Thanksgiving. In most homes it’s celebrated with food. Families gather around a lavish meal, sometimes traveling great distances to be with those they cherish. If they can’t travel, families often spend the day sharing phone calls or a flurry of text messages. Even folks with little or no family often seek out a meal with friends to eat among the people they care about and express gratitude for blessings big and small.

No matter what the menu or where it’s served, the point of the Thanksgiving meal is to share a time of gratitude for God’s mercy in our lives and hope for the future.

But celebrating with food goes far beyond a single holiday in a few countries. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus gathered around tables to enjoy fellowship—and food—with those who loved Him. He ate with Matthew (Matthew 9) and fed the 5,000 (Matthew 14) with a little bit of bread and fish. What a celebration that must have been! He ate with Simon, and just before His death, Jesus joined His disciples for the Passover, also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

That meal became the ultimate meal of thanksgiving . . . and hope. It is now a meal shared by Christians all over the world during communion, in remembrance of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

When we eat that small meal and remember His sacrifice and forgiveness, we remember that God’s love feeds us in a way that food cannot. He has provided for not only our physical needs but more importantly our spiritual need for Him. And for that, we are eternally grateful.

Today’s One Thing

As you plan and prepare your next meal, tell God how thankful you are for the work of His Son.

Receive Devotionals like This in Your Email