Bless this meal

Recently some who ate jalapeno and serrano peppers have been sickened in what the Wall Street Journal characterized as "the largest food-borne epidemic in at least a decade" ("FDA Urges Public to Avoid Eating Serrano Peppers" – Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2008). The outbreak, caused by salmonella (a feces-borne bacterium that can cause diarrhea, fever, cramps, and even death) has over 1,300 officially confirmed cases in the United States and Canada.

The FDA has linked a Mexican farm with the contaminated peppers and a water sample taken from the farm has tested positive for the rare strain of Salmonella Saint Paul. As both investigators and lawyers pore over the evidence and look to assign blame, I am both disgusted at the poor farming practices that allowed such an outbreak to occur and thankful that I am not among the many who have been sickened as a result of eating contaminated food.

When I read about problems like this in the food supply, I think about the simple Christian custom of praying and asking for God's blessing on the meal.

Recognizing that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17), many customarily pause before the meal to give God thanks for the food that is about to be enjoyed. Considering the scarcity of food in many parts of the world, we should be thankful for the food that we have at hand. Although we may grumble and complain about the rising grocery prices and the impact on our budget – we aren't going hungry. Having food to eat is a blessing that we should pause to thank God for.

In the Bible, we are told Christ blessed the food before it was eaten (cf. Matthew 14:19, Mark 8:6-7). Following Christ's example, His disciples today pause and ask for His blessing upon the food they are to eat. When food-borne epidemics are in the news, those short prayers before a meal take on an added importance.

It is at times like this, when we feel vulnerable, that we have impressed upon us just how much we need His help in our lives every day – even for ordinary things like ensuring that the food that has been prepared to eat is indeed fit for its intended purpose. Due to improper agricultural practices and pollution, the food that is produced today does not have the same nutritional value as it did almost 6,000 years ago in the Garden of Eden.

Over the years, improper farming techniques have depleted the soil of nutrients; toxic chemicals and improper sanitation have put our food supply at risk. No wonder we need God's blessing on our food.

With a salmonella outbreak in the news, a few more folks will likely pause before the meal to give thanks and ask God's blessing on it. That is appropriate. Maybe after the hoopla from the salmonella outbreak has been forgotten, there will still be a few more people praying before the meal – not for show, but to give God the thanks He is due and to ask for His blessing on what is about to be eaten.

Unless the hot peppers you are about to eat are from a safe source, you may want to consider postponing any jalapeno-eating contests.

To understand the vital keys that will unlock the power of prayer for you, please read our free booklet, Twelve Keys to Answered Prayer.