Satisfaction

Mark 6:42
42 They all ate and were satisfied,

How fitting a scripture given the current holiday season. With the Thanksgiving feast only a day behind us, I’m sure we can relate to this verse. The turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, cranberry, rolls, cakes, and pies, are probably still sloshing around in our stomachs and have surely left us feeling satisfied. Perhaps, as in my case, even over filled.

What is it about the Thanksgiving feast that causes us to eat so much? We usually aren’t like that, are we? I know that I don’t normally eat 3 pounds of meat at a single serving and chase it with ½ of a pie! There’s something about the overabundance of food on the table that triggers our desire to consume until we are stuffed. This isn’t an American tradition, or the product of a gluttonous society. It’s because we see all that there is and know that no matter how much we eat there will still be leftovers!! This is a physical manifestation of the natural desire that God has put in us all to gorge on His overabundance of grace.

As evidenced in the Bible, this insane need to eat our fill isn’t just an American tradition. When Jesus fed the 5000 (not including women and children) their reaction to His feast was consumption. He had been given 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, but they saw an endless buffet. He sat them down, blessed the food, and allowed them to take and eat until they were satisfied. When they were finished He had the disciples collect the leftovers and there were 12 baskets full.

Like the host of our Thanksgiving dinner, Jesus has prepared well in advance far more than we could ever consume. He’s invited us to His table and offered us the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. More than that, He’s laid out an endless buffet of His blessings for us. His desire to give far outweighs our effort to digest. Jesus wants us to take from Him until we are full; full of His grace, His love, His Spirit, His kindness, His riches, His righteousness, and His glory. When we have eaten our fill and are ready to burst, there will still be more. Satisfaction, guaranteed. There will be grace leftovers! So relax, enjoy, indulge, and consume. Loosen your spiritual belt a couple of notches; gorge yourself on the supernatural buffet of God’s grace.

Happy Thanksgiving.