Genesis 27:28 “May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness-- an abundance of grain and new wine. “

Ecclesiastes 3:13 “That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-- this is the gift of God.”
 
From the beginning of creation God gave to mankind food, drink and the ability to tend the garden for sustenance. Solomon in his abundance wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and recognized what was important and what wasn’t.
 
The farmer knows what it is to rejoice when the crops come in. It means food for animals and food for family, but it is also food for you and me. We celebrate Thanksgiving to remember that these are gifts from God that we enjoy - food and provisions to sustain life. In addition to food, there is work to earn the money to purchase what we need to live.
           
God instructed His people before going into the promised land not to forget Him. Just like they received manna from heaven and water from the rock, so God would provide for them. However, the provisions came in the sunshine and in rain in the season to grow their crops, bees to produce hone  and in the cattle to give milk, but God is the provider. Don’t be mistaken, it’s with man’s work that produces such things.
 
Not only does God provide the food and drink, work - income is another means of supplying for our needs.  Ecclesiastes 5:19 says “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-- this is a gift of God.” In America we have more than necessities. We have been given other blessings beyond our needs - even so God has made us for work.
           
But provision is more than food, water, drink and sustenance for the body, work is also a provision. 2 Chronicles 1:12 says “Therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” That was a promise to Solomon. The provisions of life include not only the necessities, but pleasures. It was the delight of God to display His glory by not only giving us a bare existence to eke out, but to see the beauty of the world, the universe, the ability to apply knowledge and wisdom and to grow in our discoveries.
 
I am amazed at our world and what can be done today. We have gone from horse and buggy, drawing water from wells, and cutting wood and sawing timber from trees to the invention of space capsules, laser and robot surgery, computers, and medical discoveries. We have seen production increase and inventions that boggle the mind.
 
All of this is not the ingeniousness of man. It is a gift from God, for He is the one who gives us wisdom and knowledge. He is the one who allows you and me to enjoy music, drama, art, and science. All that we have are gifts from God; in our thinking and speaking, in friends and family, in homes, cars, bank accounts, and computers. We open up the gift-wrapped presents to find pleasures for our lives that are granted by our creator.
 
1 Timothy 4:4-5 says  “ 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.”
 
Application: Have you thanked Him? Thank HIM and then thank Him again and again.

Prayer: Thank you, Heavenly Father, for everything you have given us.

Dale