(John 6:23) They came to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
Do you find these words curious, rather an unusual way to phrase it? If we had written it, wouldn't we have said, "The place where Jesus fed the 5000?"
Gave thanks - fed 5000 (John 6:11)
Gave thanks - fed 4000 (Mark 8:7)
Gave thanks - Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-27)
As we dig deeper for the hidden treasure, we find a key, a wonderful key, a golden key which will open the windows to shed light on (I Thessalonians 5:18);
In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you who are in Christ Jesus.
Is this a command to be thankful for everything?
That would be totally impossible. Who could be thankful when a child is murdered or that there are thousands of AIDS orphans or that a natural disaster ravages whole communities and leaves thousands homeless and mourning their dead?
Then what does it mean; "In everything give thanks?"
Look again at Jesus. He was not saying, "Thank You that thousands are tired and hungry and thank You that there is not enough food." He was saying,
"Thank You that in these very circumstances, You are abundantly sufficient and thank You that I can confidently depend on You."
That's the key; the wonderful, golden key.
THANK YOU MEANS DEPENDENCY!
For instance, if I say thank you to you, it is because I've allowed you to do something for me.
No matter how dire the circumstances, how deep the tragedy, how overwhelming the problems; in those very circumstances, for which in themselves we could never be thankful, we can thank God that He is totally adequate in the fiery furnace or in the lions' den or right here in my situation. Thanking God is the confidence to allow Him to get into action on my behalf.
As Charles Price wisely said,
The life of faith is not please but thank you.
Please is the language of begging.
Thank you is the language of confident dependency.
I'm having many opportunities to prove this in my own life. Lord, I can't handle it. You never said I could. But You can and You always said You would.
If we're prepared to say, "Yes," then we're privileged to say, "Thank You."
In the midst of pressure and uncertainty, it is such a relief to know that I'm not in charge. The One Who knows us best, loves us most and has only good intentions for us, He is in charge.
Thank You, Father that You are always more than equal to the need and thank You that I can safely and confidently depend on You.
The more we dig and explore, the mine of THANK YOU yields more and more treasures.