The Many Gifts of God
Eucharistic Meditation
Throughout the Scriptures, God’s people are called to be a thankful people. In Psalm 100, we are called to “enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (v. 4).
One way to cultivate thanksgiving in your life is to remember the many gifts that God has given to you. He has given you family and friends to love and care for. Vocations, occupations, and the ability to work hard. Fields and forests to explore. Food of every kind to create and taste. And the list could go on…
Of course, chief among all these gifts is God Himself, whom you have received through the work of His Son, our Lord Jesus. It is that Good News which we celebrate now, as we partake of Christ in this bread and wine. In light of this greatest gift, the lesser ones do, in a sense, “grow strangely dim,” to use the words of an old hymn.1 They could all be swept away in a day, but if you still have Christ, you still have everything.
Yet at the same time, these things really are good gifts from God, meant to be enjoyed and savored and delighted in. And what you must understand is that only in Christ can they be truly received and enjoyed. Only in Christ can they be maximized to their fullest potential as true blessings. And that is because to be in Christ is to be thankful. To be in Christ is to know who to thank for every good and perfect gift, including this Table.
So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.
This communion meditation was given on July 13, AD 2025, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”