Hello beautiful people! I hope you all are doing well. I know I've been slacking on my blog posts recently, so I will write a blog about why I've been slacking! So anyways... let's pray I remember how to write, and let's get into this!
So here in America, we take time every 4th Thursday of November to give thanks for what we have and blah blah blah. Then the next day go and buy everything we don't have... Are you thankful all year round or just this day in particular because someone created this holiday and told you to be thankful? Even then, are you truly thankful?
Being thankful begins with a heart that believes and trusts in the Lord. I have run into many complainers in my life, me being one of them. We complain we don't have the right house, car, job, or we complain about how someone doesn't like us, or that fact that we aren't married with children yet. The list goes on and on. We expect God to bless us in the midst of our ungratefulness yet we have not changed our attitude to appreciate where He has placed us right now. You have made complaining about a situation more apart of your daily routine instead of sharing the goodness of God's promises. So then, if the opportunity of whatever it is that we want, becomes available, we will take it, without truly seeking God's approval. Then we find ourselves in crazy circumstances that could have been avoided if we were patient, grateful for what the Lord had initially provided us, and allowed Him to lead us to His promises. How can we expect God to bless us when we are not content with what He has already given us? I don't know if y'all understand me, so I will break it down like this...
There once lived a man named Abraham. God promised Abraham,
"I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you... all the people on earth will be blessed through you." -Genesis 12: 2-3.
A few chapters later, Abraham became confused as to how the promise would be fulfilled even though he did not have any children. The Lord assured him that "a son who is your flesh and blood will be your heir" -Genesis 15:4. The Lord showed Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, which cannot be counted. After this, "Abraham believed the Lord..." -Genesis 15:6.
Now, fast forward to the next chapter. You will see that Abraham and his wife Sarah were getting old and antsy. They thought God was not going to come through for them on His promise. So Abraham, with his wife's consent, had a child with her maid. If Abraham and Sarah are married, God sees them as one, correct? So if the promise is to come through Abraham, wouldn't that mean it would come through Sarah as well? Do yo think in order to fulfill a promise, God would have you sin? Hmmm makes you think doesn't it?
So, I told that story why? When we are grateful for what we have, and where God has us, we are able to wait on His promises and His best for us. Abraham was initially grateful and content with the promise that was given and trusted that God would bring it to fruition. He then lost his focus and thought he would take matters into his own hands and wound up with a child that was not supposed to be the promise. His, and Sarah's, impatience affected far more people that they would have imagined. Because of his impatience, he eventually was separated from his son, Ishmael and did not have a chance to have a long relationship with his son. The brotherly relationship between Ismael and Isaac was nonexistent. His marriage with Sarah became rocky. The list goes on and on. The amazing thing was the God still protected Ishmael, even though he was not the chosen promise.
Let's also get this straight. Your gratefulness does not start when you receive the promise, it starts before you even know a promise exists. Having a grateful heart is also, not supposed to be out of guilt. When someone makes you guilty then it's not true conviction and not a true heart transformation. For instance "You need to be grateful because there are people all over the world who wish they have what you have." What is ironic with that statement, people in well developed countries experience greater bouts of depression that people in poorer countries. This means that the poorer the country is, the less depressed they are. Could it possibly because they are content with what they have and don't realize they don't have "a lot"? Just a food for thought...
So now, what are we ought to do? 2 simple things:
1. Trust that God will provide what He has promised and that it will happen in the right time
2. Being content with where He has you at this moment in the process
Don't rush this process. You are in it for a reason. The Lord is pruning you and building you up into the person He needs you to be so you can full receive that which He has promised you. Remember, once you have the opportunity to receive whatever it is that you have been wanting, check your attitude before accepting it. See that your heart is in the right place to receive it. See that it is God that is leading you towards it and not yourself. Pray pray pray about it. Really seek the Lord on confirmation.
So I pray you all had a great Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday, because I know that's what we will do anyways LOL! I will see you all later!
BBYYYEEE
~Meghan A. Harper
