"We praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we
belong to his dearly loved Son." Ephesians 1:6 NLT
Complaints and questions rolled off my tongue like water cascading over a
waterfall.
Wasn't I working a full-time job? Wasn't I taking every opportunity that
presented itself to make extra money? Wasn't my wife doing all she could to sell
items on Facebook? Why then were the freezer empty and our cupboard bare? Why
was the bank account sitting on empty just like the gas needle in our car? Why
did I have to worry about whether our insurance company was going to cancel our
renter's insurance?
"I put a little surprise in your car," I heard a church member and friend
whisper. When I looked in the bag after church, I discovered several things we
were out of. Since we hadn't shared this information with her, I figured God
must have. "She also gave us this card," my wife whispered. I slithered my
finger under the flap and removed the card. After reading the outside, I opened
it to peruse the inside but first had to remove the fifty dollar bill. There was
the remainder of what we needed to pay our renter's insurance.
The above episode was topped by another the next day. As my wife was checking
our bank account balance to make sure we still had the same four dollars we had
the last time she checked, she discovered a twenty dollar deposit had been made.
Calling the bank to check on this mysterious deposit, my wife was informed she
had made the deposit. But she hadn't. Now we could gas up the car.
Suddenly, my complaints seemed very selfish. I had forgotten I served a big God.
Paul reminded first century believers of the same.
God's kindness is worth thanking Him for. He has poured out His love through the
sacrifice of His Son. I can have all the earthly goods I desire and never have
to worry about some of the above things I've mentioned, but if my sins remain,
my account is still in the negative. God offers freedom from the debt I owe for
my sins if I simply ask for forgiveness. Along with forgiveness, He gives wisdom
and understanding so I can make sense out of life. And even when it appears
senseless, I can thank Him because I know He understands it when I don't.
What do you have to thank God for?
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.