Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Barrel: A Thanksgiving Devotional

How many are finding themselves "scraping the bottom of the barrel" to get by? How many can honestly say that the barrel started out empty? Oftentimes as we absorb the bountiful blessings our heavenly Father bestows upon us, we focus continually on the gift while neglecting the Giver- we reach in the barrel time and time again until suddenly we find ourselves at the bottom. Sometimes when we have neglected God to the point that we find ourselves in want, He will allow us to fall into the empty barrel so that we have no choice but to look upward for deliverance. Instead of waiting till you hit bottom, receive EVERYTHING with thanksgiving{Ephesians 4:20}; while looking up you just may be surprized to find the barrel filled again upon looking back down. The disciples found themselves "scraping the bottom of the barrel" when confronted with a lack of food. They managed to "scrape-up" one tiny morsel of food to feed multiple thousands. As they presented the food to Jesus they asked, "What is this in comparison to so many?" Jesus received the food with thanksgiving and blessed God for it- no one in that crowd went hungry that day and there were twelve baskets of left-overs gathered{John 6:1-13}.