Taking God for Granted

I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. (Psalm 145:1-6 ESV). The following story has bee told from many sources. There is one disclaimer I must use before I write any further: Please, ladies don’t try this at home! Seriously, it does have a very clear message for all of us: One afternoon a man came home from work to find total mayhem in his house. His three children were outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife’s car was open, as was the front door to the house. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she may be ill, or that something serious had happened. He found her lounging in the bedroom, still curled in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, “What happened here today?” She again smiled and answered, “You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world I did today?” “Yes” was his incredulous reply. She answered, “Well, today I didn’t do it.” We do take one another for granted from time to time. That is serious enough in itself. However, it is even more serious when we take God for granted. How often have you taken the time to think about the blessings that God has given you? Especially when things don’t seem to be working out as well as you would like, if you will take the time to recall those blessings of God’s grace and love, you will find a new hope and encouragement. This was the case with David when he wrote the psalm we began with today. He found himself running for his life, pursued like an animal from cave to cave in the Judean hills. Yet, he recalled the wonder of God’s majesty and glory and found the encouragement to continue. If your days are filled with trial and difficulty, perhaps you need to return to the blessings and remember that He has not failed you in the past and won’t in the present. Trust in Him with all your heart. He will not let you down!