From Ben – 19 June 2016
The bible study that meets in my home on a Wednesday night is presently going through the Jerry Bridges course, called “respectable sins”.
We are looking at the “little sins” that are really accepted in most churches as normal eg, ingratitude, worry, gossip, etc. It has been challenging to relook at these attitudes as sin in God’s sight and needing to be more seriously addressed.
This Wednesday we looked at the sin in ingratitude. We were reminded to be thankful and grateful to God for the small things which we so readily take for granted. It is interesting to see that Scripture repeatedly calls us to be thankful for God’s goodness, grace and mercy. Note 1 Thess 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” and also Col 1:12 “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints.” In Ps 103 David reminds himself of all that God has done and says, “I must not forget”.
May I ask you when last did you stop and just say, “Thank you Lord, thank you for my countless blessings.” I am sure it must sadden the heart of God when we so often behave like the 9 lepers who were wonderfully cured by Jesus, yet failed to come to him and say “thank you”. I challenge you to spend time today and every day, not asking God for things, but simply saying thank you so much for all I already have.
He enjoys much who is thankful for little.