Be Grateful for What?

Some time back, the phrase, “an attitude of gratitude” came to mind. It reignited a thankfulness in my heart for every little thing I could think of—for my salvation, my health, my husband, our family, church, and good friends. I was genuinely grateful for our home, for finances, food to eat, clothes on our backs, vehicles to get around in. Being mindful to cover every benefit, I thanked God for the nuts-and-bolts basics, like breathing and steady heartbeats. I expressed my gratitude for the setbacks that grow my faith and for His refiner's fire that burns off the dross, so I come out pure as gold. I even went so far as to include in my giving of thanks, the winsomely graceful, incessantly bothersome deer that insists on eating the beautiful flowers on my hardy hibiscus bush. Nothing was overlooked. Nothing was taken for granted.[i]

Try as I might to maintain this perpetual fountain of gratitude for the ample spread God set out for me, it was short lived. My appetite shifted toward the bigger, more bountiful blessings just across the table. I had tasted and seen the Lord’s goodness.[ii] I wanted more.

With bib tucked under my chin, I was by faith reaching out to fork more of the abundant life Jesus promised me and those I intercede for.[iii] Love, joy, peace, deliverance, healing—these delicacies are the children’s bread and I was asking God to please pass me more, more, more.[iv] Jesus said we would do greater works than He did because He went to the Father. Signs and wonders are to follow those who believe.[v] Aren’t we in dire need of that more substantial Holy Spirit collaboration to ensure that we overcome in these last days?

But in all my salivating for those over-and-above-our-wildest dreams benefits God makes available to us—and not getting good hold of them just yet—I lost sight of the blessing in today’s portion.[vi] Some might say I had acquired a steakhouse appetite on a Taco Bell budget. Consequently, my attitude of gratitude went kaput. My giving of thanks took on all the hallmarks of a rehearsed speech. "Oh yeah and thank You for that too." (Ho-hum!)  

Ours is a journey of faith. As God’s children, we each take our seat at the Master’s table. We eat our daily bread and are sustained. We fill our mouths with good things and are satisfied.[vii] 

Yet, as is the nature of faith, there’s always that unsettledness, a God-ordained longing deep down inside that keeps us reaching for more of those wonderful blessings God says are irrefutably ours—knowing full well that “the full enjoyment of these blessings is not yet ours”.[viii] Billy Graham referred to it as being ‘discontentedly content’.

Some days our daily bread may seem like mere crumbs in comparison to those delicacies of our full inheritance still to be dished out and we’re tempted to cop the attitude; Be grateful for what? But let’s not lose sight of those blessings of today. I am humbled by the story in Matthew 15 of the Canaanite woman:[ix]

She approached the Master’s table at that time as an outsider and asked for healing for her daughter.

I sat at the Master's table as one who has an inheritance among those set apart by faith in Christ. A bigger portion is what I was asking for.

Having been previously ignored, rejected, and downright insulted, the Canaanite woman gratefully received crumbs that fell to the dogs.

I received my meager child’s portion, and I did so with curled lip.

My point in comparing us isn’t that the woman’s faith was greater, so she accordingly received what she asked for and I’m still asking for those promised blessings that are mine, but not yet mine. My point is that if that woman’s daughter received healing through mere crumbs that fell from the Master’s table—crumbs we sweep into dustpans—wouldn’t you agree that there must be some noteworthy healing power stuffed inside those crumbs?

What about the fragments left over from the five barley loaves Jesus fed to the five thousand?[x] I’m sure there are other lessons to glean from that story, but what I walk away with is that after everyone was satisfied, Jesus told His disciples to gather up all that remained so that nothing was lost (wasted). We’re not talking crumbs, we’re talking leftovers. Admittedly, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered, but from a crowd of thousands that's chicken feed. Still, with leftovers who takes such meticulous care to save every last morsel when people are kicked back from the table with their bellies full?

I’ll tell you who meticulously cares about crumbs and leftovers—The One who understands that “bread in the miracle-working hands of the Bread of Life” is not your average, everyday bread![xi] Our daily bread, no matter how common it may seem in comparison to what is yet to be served, contains very noteworthy life-giving, life-sustaining, healing, delivering, miracle-working power!

That right there should unleash a perpetual fountain of gratitude in us all.

Photo by Debbie Widjaja on Unsplash

[i] 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 8:28; Malachi 3:3-4

[ii] Psalm 34:8

[iii] John 10:10

[iv] Matthew 15:22 – 29; Matthew 7:7 – 11  

[v] John 14:12; Mark 16:17 – 18

[vi] Romans 1:21

[vii] Matthew 6:11; Psalm 103:5

[viii] Desiring God; Already, Not Yet by David Briones, Professor, Westminster Theological Seminary 8-4-2020; Romans 8:30; Ephesians 2:6; Hebrews 2:6 – 9;1 John 3:2; 2 Cor 5:1 – 4; Matthew 13:33; Jude 3:1 – 3

[ix] Matthew 15:22 – 28

[x] John 6:1 – 58

[xi] John 6:12 - MacLaren’s Expositions