Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Give Thanks

"Master, send these people away. For it is late, and they must go into the nearest village and buy some food. You feed them. But Master, we only have a few loaves and a couple fish. Bring them to me." This is roughly the conversation that took place between Jesus and his disciples before he feed the multitudes of people. Jesus had been teaching to the crowd and it had grown late. He knew that most would not have been able to get some food, so he had the disciples scrounge up whatever food they could find. Thankfully, a mother had made sure her little boy had some food, and the disciples brought to Jesus 5 loaves and 2 fish. He instructs the disciples to sit the people into groups of 50 and then the miracle happens. He takes the bread, gives thanks and blesses it, then he proceeds to distribute the bread to the people. After everyone ate enough to satisfy, the disciples gather the scraps left over and fill 12 baskets of food remaining. A little boy's lunch ends up feeding 5000+ people, with plenty of food remaining. How cool.

The season of giving thanks has come upon us once again. The time to gather together with family and loved ones and sit down to a nice spread of turkey, pie and all the fixings. In this time, let us not forget what we have to be thankful for. Let's look back on the first thanksgiving. The pilgrims had come from the oppression of England into a new world. The first couple of months were hard, but somehow, they managed to have a year of a successful harvest. To celebrate, they had a feast of Thanksgiving, gathering together with some 90 Indians joined with the pilgrims. Though we don't know for sure, it is safe to assume that William Bradford gave thanks and blessed the feast, as Jesus had done 1600 years earlier. He probably realized the significance of blessing God for his provision, as we should do today. Whenever Jesus broke bread in scripture, it is made clear that he gives thanks and blesses whatever they are eating. At the last supper, when Jesus introduced communion, He took the time to give thanks, " for this is my body, take and eat; for this is my blood, take and drink."

We should always give thanks for what we have. Just because there is an official day of Thanks, we should not go back to forgetting what we have been given to us just because the holiday is over and the pie is gone. Every day on this earth is a gift. And we should be thankful that he let us wake up each morning, with new mercies and grace for the new day. Don't let life get in the way of being thankful every day of the year.

"Give thanks, in all circumstances, for this is a God's will for you, in Christ Jesus."- 1 Thessalonians 5:18    

Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless.

Adam Semple- A young man on a mission from God

* photo credit- www.thebricktestament.com

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