December 9, 2014
It’s something easily taken for granted: grace. It can simply be described as getting what we don’t deserve, and each of us are recipients of it in abundance. So was a man who lived long ago named David.
"Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, 'Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord GOD. Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD! For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know. For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.'" (2 Samuel 7:18-22)
Pondering the favor and blessings of Creator God, King David sat down in the presence of his gracious God, and poured out his awestruck heart. He was truly humbled that the infinite God of the universe would favor him and his family.
I sometimes wonder if there is a danger in God’s grace being detrimental to my life. Abundantly blessed as I am in more ways than I can image or count, am I more of a spoiled brat than a grateful child? Do I take His favor and grace for granted such that I expect more, rather than appreciate what has been given? If so, the fault is with me, not my gracious God.
David humbly “sat before the LORD”. That seems like a good starting place for all of us. Taking time out from busyness and activity, humbly and quietly sitting before the God of the universe, and recounting His specific blessings, leads to greater appreciation. As an old hymn states, “Count your blessings; name them one by one”. No matter how thorough we are, we’ll never assemble an exhaustive list. But, however much we count, a growing sense of gratitude will result.
The sin of ingratitude is to be avoided like a plague. If grace could become a curse, it would become so through ingratitude. Little wonder that we are admonished to have “an attitude of thanksgiving” (Colossians 4.2). The ungrateful person has ceased to value grace.
An important exercise in gratitude today is to sit “before the LORD”, recount specific blessings, and voice personal thankfulness. Such will help us value grace.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2014
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook & print devotional -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
paperback print copy of book — https://www.createspace.com/4500045
"Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, 'Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord GOD. Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD! For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know. For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.'" (2 Samuel 7:18-22)
Pondering the favor and blessings of Creator God, King David sat down in the presence of his gracious God, and poured out his awestruck heart. He was truly humbled that the infinite God of the universe would favor him and his family.
I sometimes wonder if there is a danger in God’s grace being detrimental to my life. Abundantly blessed as I am in more ways than I can image or count, am I more of a spoiled brat than a grateful child? Do I take His favor and grace for granted such that I expect more, rather than appreciate what has been given? If so, the fault is with me, not my gracious God.
David humbly “sat before the LORD”. That seems like a good starting place for all of us. Taking time out from busyness and activity, humbly and quietly sitting before the God of the universe, and recounting His specific blessings, leads to greater appreciation. As an old hymn states, “Count your blessings; name them one by one”. No matter how thorough we are, we’ll never assemble an exhaustive list. But, however much we count, a growing sense of gratitude will result.
The sin of ingratitude is to be avoided like a plague. If grace could become a curse, it would become so through ingratitude. Little wonder that we are admonished to have “an attitude of thanksgiving” (Colossians 4.2). The ungrateful person has ceased to value grace.
An important exercise in gratitude today is to sit “before the LORD”, recount specific blessings, and voice personal thankfulness. Such will help us value grace.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2014
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook & print devotional -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
paperback print copy of book — https://www.createspace.com/4500045
posted by steve @ 8:30 AM
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