God took a great risk when He made us and gave us so many good gifts to enjoy. Take food for example. Not only is it so necessary for our survival but with so much variety it is so enjoyable. With the other good things like companionship, hospitality and celebration that are associated with eating, it is no surprise that we love to join others for a meal.
The risk that God took is twofold. We enjoy the gift without thanking Him and we are lulled into the false idea that eating fine food is the purpose of life.
Our TV’s are filled with shows that promote the joy of cooking and the relationships that happen during the eating. Our country has food in abundance. Food that will not only nourish us but delight us. But God’s good gifts will only be properly enjoyed when we thank God and recognise that our real purpose is to find our joy in Him. The Giver not the gifts deserves our praise.
Eating food reminds us that we need to grow physically but it is also a pointer to the fact that we cannot survive on bread alone. Jesus reminds us that “we cannot live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
God would delight us and fill us with all we need as we turn to His Word. Reading the Bible will not only nourish us but will help us to know how to receive and enjoy these other gifts. Take food for example. We are taught to thank God for it. Appreciation expressed to God will transform even the most simple meal into a feast. We will be less likely to take the cook for granted.
The danger of expecting good food all the time and of judging our value according to the style of food we consume will similarly be avoided. “Their god is their belly and they glory in their shame” was the verdict of the apostle Paul about a group of people who lived in ancient Greece.
The healthiest way to enjoy food is to see it as another of God’s great gifts and therefore another occasion for thanksgiving and sharing with others. When we enjoy food in this way, as a gift from a gracious God, we are bound to thrive both in body, mind and soul.