Beyond the Giving of Thanks

While preparing for a post-Thanksgiving talk, I noticed that Jesus’ instruction on “how you should pray” does not include any giving of thanks.

Thanksgiving is, of course, necessary. 

Jesus (speaking through the Spirit in Paul) says “For although they knew God, they neither glorified (honored) him as God nor gave thanks to him” (Rom 1:21).  Everyone clearly sees God through his invisible qualities of eternal power and divine nature (Rom 1:20) and knows that God deserves thanks AND glory/honor.

Thanksgiving alone is not sufficient.

In Luke 18, the Pharisee is thankful (that he is not a robber, adulterer, etc), but people do not see his good deeds and glorify God.  Rather, he expects the honor to be given to him, not to God.

It appears that two responses are basic to our existence: giving thanks to God, and honoring/glorifying Him.

These thoughts flowed from an examination of Elijah’s encounter with the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17).  Elijah is sent by God to a coastal town in a foreign land (Sidon) and told to ask a destitute widow for food.  Unknown to Elijah, the widow is gathering sticks for a final meal so she and her son can eat it, then die.

Elijah assures her that she will be provided for until the famine breaks.

I’m struck by how Elijah is given bread by a raven day-by-day prior to this, and then he, the widow, and her son are given bread day-by-day until the famine breaks … how they continually live one day away from starvation.

We rightfully (I think) see destitution as in conflict with God’s created order … but in a fallen world, we probably don’t fully appreciate that God’s glory is most clearly shown and seen where we are most destitute.

Although there’s no giving of thanks in the Lord’s Prayer, there is “give us this DAY our DAILY bread” (emphasis added).  It is in humility we recognize that all we need or deserve is day-to-day care … and it is for God’s glory that He provides just enough and no more.