What's more important than giving thanks on Thanksgiving?

Everyone knows Thanksgiving is next Thursday.

While everyone is talking about giving thanks this month, some are forgetting the other main theme. This one just might be more important than giving thanks.

What could be more important than giving thanks on Thanksgiving? FOOD! How much money will you spend on the food that is to be prepared (even if you go out to eat, like I do?) Who's bringing what for Thanksgiving and can Aunt Martha make her special cheesecake again this year? How much time will you spend talking about it, preparing it, dishing it out, eating it, and then cleaning up after?

Yahweh has a lot to say about food too.

• “You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them." Genesis 6:21
• “They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food." Genesis 41:35
• “Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it." Genesis 41:48 (This reminds me of Revelations)
• “No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food." Genesis 42:10
• “We beg your pardon, our lord, " They said, "We came down here the first time to buy food." Genesis 43:20
• “Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children." Job 24:5
• “Who provides food for the raven when it's young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?" Job 38:41
• “He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:25
• “Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:8
• “An unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it away." Proverbs 13:23
• “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." John 6:27
• “You say, "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both." The body, however is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." 1 Corinthians 6:13
• “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." 1 Timothy 6:8
• “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food." James 2:15

Amazingly, food is mentioned in the Bible 2,953 times! Now, let’s think of these verses not in the literal sense but in the spiritual sense. In Strong’s Greek 3131, manna is described as 

the supernatural food eaten by the Israelites in the desert and the spiritual food. It also refers to what God provides to live in His preferred will and in Arabic is defined as; to be kind, beneficent, to bestow liberally, and a gift.

Strong’s Greek 5142 is trephó which means I feed, nourish; I bring up, rear, and provide for. Also, it is defined as; properly, enlarge, fully develop because adequately nourished (fed); (figuratively) to bring (or experience) "personal enlargement," i.e. spiritual development from being properly fed (nourished, taken care of). Brings a whole new meaning to the fatted calf being sacrificed doesn’t it? Yeshua was the ultimate fatted calf, being completely matured spiritually, fully developed and properly fed by The Father.

As we labor over food this Thanksgiving, let’s remember that God needs us to feed the needy because in doing so we are feeding Him. Make a couple extra plates and pass them out. Give someone a few bucks. Pull over and pray with someone even if it’s freezing outside because you know what? At least you have a warm home to go to and that soul, who Yeshua died for, is trying to keep their toes and their nose warm. Every time you pass them, you are passing God. That might as well be The Father sitting there on the sidewalk cold and hungry. Is it happenstance that in Arabic food means a gift?

What are you feeding God?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:22

Remember that this is some of the manna Yahweh has given you to nourish you while the freeways are congested, children are screaming, and in-laws are judging. Do you think it is coincidence that in Arabic manna means to be kind and one of the fruits of the Spirit is kindness? Or that it also means to bestow liberally and another one of the fruits of the Spirit is goodness? To develop spiritually, one must practice patience, self-control (when deciding on another serving of pecan pie), love, joy, peace, faithfulness, and gentleness.

So, take in all that The Lord has to offer and get full on His manna and be trephó!

Shalom! God bless you and your family!