The Thanks We Owe
Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
—Psalm 107:21
How like us to forget to give thanks. We are so quick to come to God in times of need. We pray, "Lord, get me out of this" or "Lord intervene" or "Lord, provide for me." We call on the Lord and then when He answers, we don't offer up a word of thanks.
Worse yet is when we chalk it up to dumb luck. It reminds me of the guy who was on the roof of a three-story house, nailing down a loose shingle. Suddenly he lost his footing and began to slide. Knowing he was about to fall to his death, he cried out to God, praying, "Help me! Save me! God, don't let me die! God, do something! Save me!"
Then, as he was nearing the edge of the roof, his belt loop suddenly caught on a nail, which stopped him. This allowed him to grab hold and then climb back up again. Reaching safety, he called out, "It's okay, God! I got caught on a nail!"
That is how we are sometimes. We say, "Oh, Lord, provide for me. I have this financial need. Lord, You've got to come through for me."
Then the next day, a rebate check for the exact amount arrives in the mail. "It's okay, Lord," we say. "The rebate check showed up."
Do we ever stop and think, however, that God has provided that for us?
Are you giving God the glory for what He has done? We are so quick to ask for His help. But let's remember to give Him the praise when He comes through. We should be as definite in returning thanks as we are in requesting help. Far too often we call on God in times of crisis, but we don't follow through with our thanks.
Worse yet is when we chalk it up to dumb luck. It reminds me of the guy who was on the roof of a three-story house, nailing down a loose shingle. Suddenly he lost his footing and began to slide. Knowing he was about to fall to his death, he cried out to God, praying, "Help me! Save me! God, don't let me die! God, do something! Save me!"
Then, as he was nearing the edge of the roof, his belt loop suddenly caught on a nail, which stopped him. This allowed him to grab hold and then climb back up again. Reaching safety, he called out, "It's okay, God! I got caught on a nail!"
That is how we are sometimes. We say, "Oh, Lord, provide for me. I have this financial need. Lord, You've got to come through for me."
Then the next day, a rebate check for the exact amount arrives in the mail. "It's okay, Lord," we say. "The rebate check showed up."
Do we ever stop and think, however, that God has provided that for us?
Are you giving God the glory for what He has done? We are so quick to ask for His help. But let's remember to give Him the praise when He comes through. We should be as definite in returning thanks as we are in requesting help. Far too often we call on God in times of crisis, but we don't follow through with our thanks.
~Greg Laurie~
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