Don't Take Your Blessings For Granted.

“When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day.” Deut. 8:10-11.

One particular temptation that we as believers must avoid. We seem to be at the danger of getting accustomed to God's blessings such that it doesn't count for anything any more. At times we become like the world traveler who has been everywhere and has seen it all. Someone once said that if the stars come out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them. We have seen the stars so often that we don’t bother to look at them anymore. We have grown accustomed to our blessings. The Israelites in the wilderness got accustomed to their blessings, and God had to chasten the people ( Num. 11). God had fed the nation with heavenly manna each morning, and yet the people were getting tired of it. They were experiencing a miracle of God’s provision every morning; yet they were no longer excited about it. Nothing but manna!

One of the evidence that we have grown accustomed to our blessings is this spirit of criticism and complaining. Instead of thanking God for what we have, we complain about it and tell him we wish we had something else. You can be sure that if God did give us what we asked for, we would eventually complain about that. The person who has gotten accustomed to his blessing can never be satisfied. Another evidence of this malady is the idea that others have a better situation than we do. The Israelites remembered their diet in Egypt and longed to return to the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. They were saying, “The people in Egypt are so much better off than we are!” Obviously, they had forgotten the slavery they had endured in Egypt and the terrible bondage from which God had delivered them. Slavery is a high price to pay for a change in diet.

Counting your blessings is a powerful way to shift your perspective, reduce stress, and increase your happiness by focusing on what you have rather than what is missing. You should make it a point of duty to be deeply thoughtful. It's often being said that only great fools are not grateful. You must now cultivate a culture of regularly vocalising your appreciation, whether it’s thanking someone for a small act of kindness or sharing what you are thankful for with family or friends during a meal or thanking God daily in prayer s. When something good happens, take a moment to stop and savour the feeling instead of moving instantly to the next task. Sharing your achievements with supportive people helps solidify the celebration. In essence, a grateful heart recognizes that every good and perfect gift is from above, which prevents the spiritual danger of treating blessings as mere entitlements. Selah!

FURTHER READING:

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James. 1:17.

"Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." Psa. 103:2-5.

DECLARATION: 

Dear Abba Father, I thank You for the gift of life and the privilege of salvation. Thank You for the answered prayers and for blessing me more than I deserve. Thank You for provision, protection, and peace. Please help me to never mishandle these blessings or take them for granted. Teach me to steward them with wisdom, humility, and gratitude. Keep my heart aligned with You in both abundance and lack, and help me stay thankful in every season of my life in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Ezra. 1:1-11.

Ezra. 2:1-70.

Ezra. 3:1-13.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“Be Grateful For What You Have And Where You Are. Your Reality Is Someone Else Prayers.”