Luke 24:30 - Tack gode Gud för maten.
I grew up in a family that prayed before every meal, asking God to bless the food. No one took even a nibble before that was done. It was the same whether we were at home, visiting friends, or eating in a restaurant.
Once, my dad and I fixed our respective sandwiches for lunch. I was still fixing my sandwich when my dad bowed his head and prayed silently... for all of ten seconds before he commenced eating his sandwich. Let me add that he was in his seventies at the time. I just had to ask, "So were you ...praying?" That's when he told me that he still used a Swedish table prayer that his own mother taught him as a boy:
Tack gode Gud för maten. I Jesus, namn, Amen.
Thank good God for the food. In Jesus name, Amen
Asking God to bless our food isn't merely a cultural relic. It's based on scripture. Jesus blessed food: whether it was fish and bread for thousands (Luke 9:16), wine and bread for twelve apostles (Luke 22:19). Two disciples identified the risen Christ when He blessed their bread (Luke 24:30). [Compare this to the deadly lack of thanks in Numbers 11:33!]
I'm terrible about snacking. At this moment, at my desk I have some cheddar cheese crackers, fruit twists, Oreo cookies, Korean chocolate, Dutch chocolate, and--when I'm feeling virtuous and healthy, I have some roasted butternut squash seeds. Now what if every time I put food in my mouth I stopped to say, "Thank good God for the food. In Jesus name, Amen."
It might change my eating habits. More importantly, it would remind me to be thankful for all the basic needs God supplies--not to mention luxuries like chocolate!
Good God, along with all the gifts you give us, give us grateful hearts as well, hearts that seek your blessing in all that we enjoy. In Jesus name, Amen.
Once, my dad and I fixed our respective sandwiches for lunch. I was still fixing my sandwich when my dad bowed his head and prayed silently... for all of ten seconds before he commenced eating his sandwich. Let me add that he was in his seventies at the time. I just had to ask, "So were you ...praying?" That's when he told me that he still used a Swedish table prayer that his own mother taught him as a boy:
Tack gode Gud för maten. I Jesus, namn, Amen.
Thank good God for the food. In Jesus name, Amen
Asking God to bless our food isn't merely a cultural relic. It's based on scripture. Jesus blessed food: whether it was fish and bread for thousands (Luke 9:16), wine and bread for twelve apostles (Luke 22:19). Two disciples identified the risen Christ when He blessed their bread (Luke 24:30). [Compare this to the deadly lack of thanks in Numbers 11:33!]
I'm terrible about snacking. At this moment, at my desk I have some cheddar cheese crackers, fruit twists, Oreo cookies, Korean chocolate, Dutch chocolate, and--when I'm feeling virtuous and healthy, I have some roasted butternut squash seeds. Now what if every time I put food in my mouth I stopped to say, "Thank good God for the food. In Jesus name, Amen."
It might change my eating habits. More importantly, it would remind me to be thankful for all the basic needs God supplies--not to mention luxuries like chocolate!
Good God, along with all the gifts you give us, give us grateful hearts as well, hearts that seek your blessing in all that we enjoy. In Jesus name, Amen.
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