Daily Bible Reading
Give Thanks
What do you give someone who already has everything? You might think you have a few relatives like that, but you don’t really. Who on earth truly has everything? Sure, they may have a lot of stuff, they may have more stuff than a mansion could hold, but that’s not the same thing as having everything.
Jesus, on the other hand, He does have everything. He was part of creating the world (John 1:1-2), but more than that, the world was created for Him. “All things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16). He owns everything.
So, suppose you wanted to give something to Jesus. What do you give Him? You can put money in the collection basket. But He doesn’t need money. Besides, it’s already His. You may have had it in your bank, but your bank is in His world. He owns it. That’s just one example. Everything else will go the same way. There isn’t anything you have that He needs.
There is something you can give, though. Something that He wants.
Give thanks.
It strikes me that Jesus, who owns everything, is found giving thanks several times. He gives thanks for food (Mt. 15:36). He gives thanks for the bread and fruit of the vine at the Lord’s Supper (Mt. 26:27). He gives thanks when God listens to Him at the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:41). But He always could provide food for Himself and God always listened to Him. If anyone could take things for granted (and not be wrong in doing so), it was Jesus. But still, He gave thanks. It’s a little odd, isn’t it?
There may be some deeply spiritual significance to Jesus giving thanks. I don’t know. But I do know that Jesus came on earth to set an example for us (John 13:15). Maybe He gave thanks just to show us that we should do the same thing. Don’t take anything for granted. Always give thanks.
All things are God’s, but there is one simple thing that we can all give to Him. It’s what He wants from each one of us. It’s what He wants at all times. Give thanks (I Thes. 5:18).
