“No person is in true health who cannot stand in the free air of heaven, with feet on God’s free turf, and thank the Creator for the simple luxury of physical existence.” (T. W. Higginson, 1823-1911, American clergyman and writer)
“A single grateful thought toward heaven is the most nearly perfect prayer.” (Gotthold Lessing, 1729-1781, German dramatist)
When the Lord overheard His chosen people griping, His wrath blazed up (Numbers 11:1). Dissatisfied, they wailed. Unappreciative of all He was doing for them—liberating them from slavery, transforming them into a new nation, guiding them to the Promised Land—they were greedy for more. To put it mildly, God did not like all that bellyaching. And God still does not like whining.
We can take one of two basic attitudes toward life—we can be grumbly hateful or humbly grateful. Do we appreciate God’s rich provision? Do we trust Him to reinforce us to bear our burdens? Do we rely on His infinite power to solve our “impossible” difficulties? If we’re satisfied with what God gives us, we’ll be truly rich. Our thankful heart will fill our mouth with praise songs.
When life becomes a bitter pill, we should resist the urge to give in to the common human response of complain, complain, complain. If we bring our heartache to the Lord, His wounds will speak to ours and provide solace. The cure for chronic griping is to be thankful for every heartbeat, every breath, and every day God gives us.
When sour notes make our days a dirge, God’s love can tune our heart to sing His grace.
When we wonder if God cares, if we lean on Him we will be reenergized to soar like an eagle high above the complaining world below.
No matter what happens, we can always keep thankfulness alive in our heart. Being humbly grateful paves the path to contentment—the greatest blessing we can enjoy this side of heaven.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness to each generation.” (Psalm 100:4-5 NLT)
W
Johnny R. Almond
Interim Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church; Fredericksburg, Virginia
Blog http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/
This devotion based on Day 81 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity
