After the Thanks

There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. (John 6:23)

I am again reminded of something so powerful and yet so ignored in this verse that I have to take some time again to think about it more intently. I find it more than just interesting that the location where the 5,000 were fed is referred to here as the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. It does not talk about the place where Jesus multiplied the bread and fish or where He worked an astounding miracle for a lot of hungry people. It focuses in almost exclusively on the act of Jesus giving thanks and following that the people ate the bread that was produced as a result of that action on the part of Jesus.

I am repeatedly convicted at various times of my need to intentionally give thanks far more than I have ever done. But unlike the forced gratitude that I was taught growing up that made me feel very resentful from being manipulated and controlled by my parents in order to make them look good, the thanks that heaven relates to is a spontaneous but also deliberate choice that has almost unlimited power to open up the windows of heaven in blessings that we so often need in our lives.

I see another aspect of this kind of thanks that is in stark contrast to most of the thanks we are used to dealing in. That is, the thanks referred to in the Bible very often occurs before the blessings are received, whereas the kind of gratitude I am used to seeing is almost always dependent on first experiencing the blessings we desire. Giving thanks while in extreme need with little idea of how God is going to meet my need requires a very different mindset than waiting until I know my needs are being met and then feeling grateful for the specific ways in which God has chosen to provide. The kind of thankfulness we are told about in the Bible is a faith-based gratitude that is more dependent on a trust in God's heart rather than just an acknowledgment of His provisions.

Even more than that, this kind of thanks seems to have tremendous power to actually unleash heaven's blessings. But at the same time it cannot have any element of manipulation in it. If we are trying to force God to do things for us by going through the motions of giving thanks while in our heart we have cherished doubts about His goodness and desire to bless us, this kind of thanks may not work for us very well. This kind of thanks is not a magic wand whereby we can get God to give us what we want, it is really an expression of our mutual love and trust that springs from an intimate relationship with our Father who we are confident always has our best interest at heart.

Our fallen nature always gravitates toward seeking a formula whereby we can secure for ourselves the things we feel we need and desire. We are selfish by nature and cannot avoid that. But when the divine nature of God begins to live and operate within our hearts we now have the option to live from motives for selfless acts of kindness and generosity in relation to those around us. We are then empowered through the use of genuine gratitude and public thanks to open the resources of heaven to demonstrate to others the real truth about our Father who cares for all of His children.

In a sense there really are some formulas that must be understood if we are to function effectively in the family of God. But they are not simply magic phrases that have power in themselves but instead are expressions of a kind of heart relationship we can have with a Father who wants His children to know Him more fully and more appreciatively. Gratitude tends to deepen the bonds of any healthy relationship and when we express thanks ahead of time with little to no evidence yet in place it displays the kind of deep trust that is also essential for us to experience true salvation.

I have noticed at times that when I am starting to feel discouraged or overwhelmed or depressed, that if I simply step back and deliberately chose to express gratitude and praise to God for who He is and specific attributes about His character, that no matter what is going on around me that choice and action in itself suddenly introduces a whole new element into my atmosphere. I then begin to feel new life and hope coming back into my spirit.

It is all too easy to forget this most important weapon against discouragement, but the Spirit of God reminds me at times and I find that if I am willing to take up this weapon and use it generously that it can be depended on to bring heaven closer to earth and dispel the fears that try to suffocate hope from my heart.