God was taking Israel to a new land, out of captivity to freedom. He told them it was a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. A land of wheat and barley, grapevines and fig trees; olive oil and honey.
Imagine being been born into slavery, where the masters determine what, when, and how much you eat. You’re not able to go to the kitchen and grab a snack, there is no snack. Nothing extra available, no matter how hungry you are, then hearing that you’re moving to a land where the food is plentiful and freedom awaits.
God knew that when people have it good, have all they need, especially if they have worked to get the resources, they tend to think they did it all, that the resources are because of them alone. He knew that in this new land of milk and honey, when the people were able to eat their fill, they would begin to forget His goodness to them.
Aren’t we like this?
God provides to us a new-to-us auto to replace the dead beater we had before, and for the first couple months we keep it so clean, wiping everything down every time we’re in it. Then, after a while, we only wipe it down once a month, then whenever we wash it – and that’s not very often. As we go along, we accept the compliments about it and at first we tell the story of how God provided it. Then, over time, we tell that truth less and less, just taking the compliments as our due. Before long, that car looks like the one we replaced and we get upset because something has happened to the car WE provided ourselves.
We do it with houses, cars, friends, schools, jobs, and so much more!
What if, instead of going the natural path of forgetting where our gifts came from, we remembered intentionally? What if, every time we used or saw that item given to us by the Lord, we breathed a “Thank YOU!” to Him for that gift and let others know it’s from Him?
What if our expression of gratitude for the gift given wasn’t a one-and-done?
“I said thank you when you gave it to me, why should I say it every time I touch it?”
Simply because you need the reminder of where it truly came from. Also because others need to hear you share how God blesses you. That may be one of the things that brings that someone into a right relationship with the Father through Jesus.
What is it that you’ve gotten your fill of today? That thing that you use constantly, but haven’t thanked God for in ages? Let’s start today to thank Him for that gift and every other that He has given. Let’s choose this act to excel in.
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
