“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.” Deuteronomy 8:10
Moses challenges us to make the most ordinary events of life into acts of worship. Notice the special attention given to food here. You can’t go long without food, so if you can make a strong connection between God and food, then you will be greatly helped in keeping him at the center of your life.
Make your dinner table a place where you worship. Don’t let the television replace the table. Whether it is at the beginning or the end of the meal, use this most common event as an opportunity to give thanks. We sometimes talk about “saying grace” and that can become a habit, but it is a good habit that we need to keep fresh and meaningful.
But Moses had more in mind. Let the table be a place of family worship. Let every meal be a holy reminder of the abundant goodness of God. Don’t let the table be a place of complaining and grumbling, but of thanksgiving. Learn to eat and drink to the glory of God.
If you do not bring God into the most ordinary events of life, then he will always remain at the margins of your experience.
Have you made it a practice to give thanks before or after dinner? What do you need to do to keep it fresh and meaningful?
