Saying Grace Before Meals

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JESUS SPEAKING

Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. (Matthew 15: 32 – 39)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

The crowds that had followed Jesus into the wilderness were famished. In a gesture of affection, Jesus miraculously turned a small meal into enough food to feed 4,000 men (as well as their women and children.) Within this account, we also read that Jesus gave thanks to God before distributing the food. This practice, seen in other portions of the gospels, has commonly become known as ‘saying grace.’ By thanking God for His provision before eating, we are following the example of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus sought to teach His disciples how to pray, He recited what has become known as, “The Lord’s Prayer.” Included within this prayer is the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We are urged to remain focused on today, and to remember that God alone provides for all of our needs. In fact, concerning God’s provision, Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

If we, as believers, know that all good things come from the Lord, then outward displays of gratitude will manifest in our lives. Thanking God in prayer before meals is an excellent Christian discipline; as is praising God for all of the other blessings He has bestowed upon us.

“Lord heavenly Father, we recognize that You are the provider of all good things. May we honor You with thanksgiving and praise You for Your many blessings. May our hearts also learn to trust you in all things. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Faith In the Resurrection

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JESUS SPEAKING

“Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore, you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16: 19 – 22)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

Jesus prophesied that after His crucifixion He would remain buried until His resurrection on the third day. During this time His followers endured terrible confusion, sorrow, and doubt. When He did rise from the dead and appeared to them in the flesh, their faith was restored. As promised, they were filled with a supernatural joy. An enduring peace that could never be taken away from them, no matter the circumstance.

In the 1800s there lived an American Missionary to Burma named Adoniram Judson. Like most missionaries he endured many hardships. One day, on furlough, he returned to England and was walking through the town of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy was playing near the wharves when he encountered Mr. Judson. He was struck by the man’s appearance. He had never before seen such a light on any human face. He fetched a minister to come and inform him of who the stranger was. When the minister arrived, he became so absorbed in conversation with Judson that he forgot all about the impatient boy standing near him. Many years later, that boy, who could never get away from the influence of that wonderful face became a famous preacher named Henry Clay Trumbull. In a book of his memoirs he penned a chapter entitled: “What a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson.” That missionaries lighted countenance had changed his life.

Like Adoniram Judson, only those who have faith in the resurrection of Christ from the dead can walk with eternal joy. For if Christ did not rise we have no hope. The disciples who saw Him in the flesh were transformed by their encounter. If we embrace the resurrection, then the light of Christ will shine through us as well.

“Lord heavenly Father, may we possess great faith in Your Son’s resurrection. May we be transformed by this truth and seek to carry the gospel to all those who are lost. Give us the strength to endure hardships with joy, knowing that You are our inheritance. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of You!

Being Invited & Chosen

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JESUS SPEAKING

“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.’ “But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and nashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22: 2 – 14)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

In this parable Jesus identifies the Jews as the people to whom He had originally been sent. Many of these individuals however, had rejected the gospel message. In turn, God chose to bless the gentiles (non-Jewish people) by offering them salvation also. Still, we read that the king discovered some in attendance at the wedding feast that were not dressed properly; meaning they weren’t clothed in the garments of salvation that only a faith in Christ can provide. These people were rejected and thrown into outer darkness. Such is the fate of all those who reject Jesus Christ.

My son really enjoys going to the trampoline park and bouncing around. When we arrive there, we are each given colored bracelets, which we must display at all times. They can’t be covered or hidden under a sleeve. The staff need to be able to see the bracelets to discern if we are truly legitimate members. Those who are observed not wearing a bracelet are ejected from the facility because they did not pay for proper admission.

In a similar way, those who have been invited into the kingdom of God must be wearing the righteousness of Christ; something that reveals their true identity as believers. Apart from the Messiah, there are no other pathways to God, and no other means of gaining entry into His eternal kingdom. May we all possess a genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

“Lord Heavenly Father, give us more of Your Holy Spirit, that we might remain covered in the blood of Your Son. May we walk in humility as we experience the genuine salvation You have so graciously offered to us. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of You!