Thankful
I was reading the Bible in Acts the other day, when a verse jumped out at me. It said, "The God who made the universe and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in shrines made by humans, and he isn't served by humans as if he needed anything. He gives everyone life, breath, and everything they have." (Acts 17:24-25). Wow. As I looked around at everything I and my family have, the reality of the verse hit me. Everything we have comes from God - the food I eat, the clothes I wear, even the ability to take my next breath... truly even life itself.
The next day I was reading in Psalm 50:7-15 and I saw almost the same thing stated there. Hmm...
So what is God getting at? What does He really want from us? He doesn't need anything. He has about a gazillion angels who praise Him day and night, so that's covered. He owns every square inch of this universe, so that's covered.
What He really wants is our thanks.
Really? Think about it. If you're a parent, one of the most beautiful gifts your kids can give you is an expression of heartfelt thanks. Not just a quick, compulsory "Thank you", but a real, from the depths of their being, with-all-their-heart thanks. The joy that comes from knowing as a parent that you've fulfilled the deepest desire of their heart and they are delighted. And then they come and tell you. You share in their joy. Don't you think God feels that way too? The Bible says He does.
So what's your response going to be?
When our kids were young, I did not work but stayed home with them. Because we only had one income, we didn't have a lot of money to spend. Certainly not for many "extras". I remember some days feeling somewhat frustrated and really longing to have the extra income that most of our friends had. It was hard. But one thing that would help was to make a point of giving thanks for what we did have.
As I was folding my husband's clean work shirts, I would thank God for his job. As I did the dishes, I would thank God that we had dishes to use and food to eat. And because our families had been kind to us at birthdays and Christmas, our children had some really nice toys. So I would thank God for our extended families and their kindness to us.
So let's take the time to bless God by giving Him our heartfelt thanks. It's a great exercise to go through your home and thank God for everything you see. The dishes in your cupboard, the pictures on your wall. Your sheets, your towels, your curtains. (It's pretty humbling to realize how many things you have been blessed with.) Give Him thanks for it all.
After all, it all comes from Him.
Blessings.
The next day I was reading in Psalm 50:7-15 and I saw almost the same thing stated there. Hmm...
So what is God getting at? What does He really want from us? He doesn't need anything. He has about a gazillion angels who praise Him day and night, so that's covered. He owns every square inch of this universe, so that's covered.
What He really wants is our thanks.
Really? Think about it. If you're a parent, one of the most beautiful gifts your kids can give you is an expression of heartfelt thanks. Not just a quick, compulsory "Thank you", but a real, from the depths of their being, with-all-their-heart thanks. The joy that comes from knowing as a parent that you've fulfilled the deepest desire of their heart and they are delighted. And then they come and tell you. You share in their joy. Don't you think God feels that way too? The Bible says He does.
So what's your response going to be?
When our kids were young, I did not work but stayed home with them. Because we only had one income, we didn't have a lot of money to spend. Certainly not for many "extras". I remember some days feeling somewhat frustrated and really longing to have the extra income that most of our friends had. It was hard. But one thing that would help was to make a point of giving thanks for what we did have.
As I was folding my husband's clean work shirts, I would thank God for his job. As I did the dishes, I would thank God that we had dishes to use and food to eat. And because our families had been kind to us at birthdays and Christmas, our children had some really nice toys. So I would thank God for our extended families and their kindness to us.
So let's take the time to bless God by giving Him our heartfelt thanks. It's a great exercise to go through your home and thank God for everything you see. The dishes in your cupboard, the pictures on your wall. Your sheets, your towels, your curtains. (It's pretty humbling to realize how many things you have been blessed with.) Give Him thanks for it all.
After all, it all comes from Him.
Blessings.
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