It comes as no surprise that the time we are living in is becoming increasingly difficult, especially when simple things that we need are beginning to take effect in our lives, like rising gasoline prices, water shortages and power outages. These necessities could affect the cost on other items such as groceries. With a struggling economy, are we becoming more cautious and aware when it comes to either saving or spending our money? Have these customary every-day items been taken for granted? Do we realize that food and gas are depleting and that one day we could very well run out of supplies?
God knows what we need. He blesses us with physical necessities, and He has also granted us gifts that are not offered to the world, while some who could be reached have chosen not to accept His gifts. Have we taken God’s gifts for granted, including the Sabbath day, His annual Holy Days and His commandments for us to keep? Do we take His blessings for granted? Are we thankful for them? Do we have faith that God will provide in our times of need, or do we become too discouraged to rely on God? Remember, He puts us through trials to test our faith (James 1:2-6), and we must also be smart in our decisions that we make, because we don’t want to test God either, by questioning His ability or willingness to help us or by trying to force Him to do something for us, while we do nothing. To think that we can just sit back and stay passive, thinking that God will have to take care of us, is not going to get us far, as we have a role to play as well. That is all part of our learning process – having a closer relationship with God.
When we do receive blessings from God, we have to remember to be thankful. Sometimes we tend to dwell on the things that are troublesome to us, the things that we would most likely try to put into our own hands to figure out, forgetting to go to God and ask for help. We may not do that intentionally but we give in to human nature. When we are sick, do we ask God for healing, or do we rely on doctors and medicine instead, ignoring God in the process? And when we ask for God’s healing, and He does heal us, do we forget to thank Him? Luke 17:11-19 proves that our faith will make us well and that God expects of us to thank Him when we are healed.
Ephesians 5:20 tells us that we are to give thanks “ALWAYS for ALL things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This also means during difficult times. We should not take what has been given to us for granted.
God has also given us the gift of knowledge and love and the understanding of His Way of Life, including the meaning of the Sabbath and the Holy Days, and by living this way, we are to be great examples to the rest of the world, as it says in Matthew 5:16. We are to be shining lights to this world even though the world will hate us for it, and yes, they will hate us for it!
But we are not here to please the world, but God, and we will be blessed for that. Luke 8:4-15 talks about the parable of the sower who went out to sow his seed. Some seed fell by the wayside, on rock, among thorns, and good ground. Which seed are we? If we consider ourselves to be part of the seed that fell on good ground, notice how we must have patience just as God has patience with us. We must endure hardship and suffering if we want to live God’s Way of Life, to ultimately be like God. Isn’t that our ultimate goal? Do we sometimes take what we know for granted? Or do we remain faithful in Christ? Are we strong enough to keep going, and do we possess that patience until the end? For this is God’s promise to us, if we do not give up: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).
