Gratitude

Gratitude makes us grateful even for the past, for the storms we went through,
and for the hard times we'll never forget.
We are where we are today by the grace and mercy of God.
Like Joseph, gratefulness brings peace for today and a vision for tomorrow.
Gratefulness turns anger into humility;
it turns dissatisfaction into satisfaction; it turns enough into more than enough.
Gratitude turns chaos into order, confusion into clarity.

It's common to see Christians doing the right things, reading the bibles, pray and give tithes,
and also give time and efforts to the cause of Christ,
but their lives of obedience often fail to acknowledge the fresh touches from God,
and to say a simple thank you for them.
It's easy to get lost in the discipline of obedience.
Human nature does not lend itself to gratitude.
It lends itself to complaining.

God desires a thankful people, and hates a murmuring, grumbling,
fault-finding, complaining people.
This was the attitude of Isreal during the 40 years in the wilderness.
God called it unbelief. (Fear of the future is also unbelief.)

God's covenant is that we believe and trust in Him;
then He'll keep His covenant promises to us...to protect, to provide,
and to work things out for good to those who love Him.
Only through belief and trust can there be joy and peace.
Our ways, our intelligence, our plans, our visions and our efforts alone
cannot bring this joy and peace.

When the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptian army,
they celebrated and praised the Lord.
But soon out in the desert, with hard walking in the sun,
and thirsty without water to drink, they began to murmur....

"Because they were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?
Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt saying...
"Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve
the Egytians than we should die in the wilderness." Exodus 14:11

"Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt,
when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full!
For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
Exudus 16:3

They were thinking of the onions and garlics and meat in Egypt;
they wished they were back in Egypt.
There's a purpose God brought them out into the wilderness....to test them.

"God has led you in the wilderness these 40 years,
that He might humble you, testing you,
to know what was in your heart,
whether you would keep His commandments or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2)

We all face hard times in our lives, one time or another.
Often we're not aware we are ungrateful people,
and we like to justify ourselves.
And through events in our lives, or through other people, we face afflictions and persecutions.
It's difficult to see blessings in afflictions, because it's painful.
But nothing happens by chance.
It's put there for us to test us,
and to bless us by making us stronger spiritually.
Unless you're blessed spiritually, you cannot be blessed in the physical.

But you ask...how can blessings be painful?
Because we suffer hurts and much pain, and also loss of peace and happiness.
Blessing does come with pain...like it did to Joseph, through slavery and prison.
God knew what He was bringing Joseph through,
and God also knows what He's doing when He allows you to go through hard times.
Afflictions are working out God's purpose in our lives.
Afflictions will expose our self-will and pride in us, our attitude of ungratefulness.
God, in His infinite wisdom and foreknowledge, allows things to come into our lives,
because God wants to know what's in our hearts,
and God is working things out for our destiny.

Are you the grateful kind of a person?
The people who see you everyday....friends, family and co-workers...
would they say you're a grateful or a grumpy kind of a person?
They've watched your face as the boss handed you yet another unexpected project to do.
They've heard your reaction to the waiter, when your order is long waitng.

A grumpy attitude can evolve quickly and quietly into a sour character.
You unknowingly become one of those people, no one wants to be around,
because you're always in protest.
Never happy with the way things are, you keep complaining
about the way things could be or should be.

If this sounds like your life, it's time to let them go.
But how? This is how.
"Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
Because the meek has power,
power to exercise self-control, not complaining in less favourable cirmcumstanses,
power to overlook insults or provocation,
power to bless those who curse you,
power to wait patiently and thankfully accept everything that happened
as a part of God's infinite plan and purpose.

Meekness is the foudation for an attitude of thankfulness.
Obedience is not all that God wants from you. It's not enough.
If God wants obedience , He could create a race of robots.
But God wants you to choose, to pause in your obedience to Him,
and to run back to Him with an open expression of heartfelt appreciation and thankfulness
for all that He has done in your life.


God's seeking a heart that's grateful, an attitude of gratitude.
"In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God."