“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?
Martin Wiles Hodges, South Carolina, USA