Wednesday August 19, 2020

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4–5)

In the Old Testament, God had told his people that certain foods were unclean and therefore forbidden.  When Jesus came and established the new covenant with his people, God showed Peter that all things were clean to eat. This was a struggle for some people. They grew up being told that foods such as pork and other such animals that were not cloven hoofed or didn’t chew its cud were unclean. Some of them struggled so much that they bound other people’s consciences with this teaching. They would contradict what Paul, Timothy, and others were teaching. Paul wrote to Timothy to assure him that these people who were teaching this way were wrong.

 Everything God created is good. He said so when he created it. That is why he rested on the seventh day. But human beings soon after brought evil into this world through sin. God never stopped giving good gifts, sin tainted the good things that God created. God still gives us only good gifts. When he gives us good gifts, he wants us to thank him. Therefore, we should not reject the good gifts of food and marriage and other such things that God gives to us. Instead we thank him and use them appropriately.

Today take time to thank God for the good gifts that he gives to us. Thank him for food and all the other gifts he gives to you. Amen.

Our song for today is “Gifts from God” by Chris Tomlin ft. Chris Lane