Being grateful

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"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
                                                                                                    Psalm 107:1. NKJV

Cast your mind back to the days when perhaps, money was not so readily available. Those times when you used to window shop without going into the shop to buy, because you just didn't have the money to purchase what you had just been viewing.
I remember when I was young when I used to look in the windows of this immense sports come toy shop. It had so much in the store. It was amazing. All around the outside of the store were windows so it was very easy to peer in longingly at the wonderful sights. I used to press my nose up against the windows so that I could get a better view of some game that was just outside of my view. I would spend ages there, re-visiting most days just doing the same, until that wonderful day when I had received some birthday money. I would then dash to this store and walk inside proudly to buy what I had been looking at all this time. I used to be so grateful when I had received this longing in my heart.

Perhaps you remember the days when your parents could not really afford to purchase certain things for you. My parents did their very best and I really lacked nothing. However, there was always something that the other lads used to have that I didn't. This is life really. There is always someone that appears to have everything while others have a great lack.

 As we grow older and get married and start a family, money can be tight. Children must take priority and once again some parents have to wait until the financial climate is much better before the purchase of something longed for, can be bought. When the children have grown up, left home to start families of their own, that is probably the time when parents can re-invent themselves again. There may be better jobs which bring in a better salary. Both parents may be working, so things begin to brighten up, a lot. Yes, there is still financial pressure of bills, rent or mortgage payments and whatever else. But there seems to be less pressure to it all. It is nice to look in a shop window or view online shops and be able to purchase what we see, without much worry about paying for it all. As long as a person has the funding and is not depending on credit card payments that they can't meet, it's good and a blessing.

I stop and think of the earlier days and I'm so grateful for what God has supplied to me and my family. We are blessed. What about you? Can you say the same? Are you grateful for what God has done in your life. He is so good. You may have financial pressure at this time but, as long as you put God first and trust Him, He will not let you down. He will lead you along the paths of gratefulness. It's not far away.

Try and think back to the times when you had very little. Think of the ways that you have seen God bless you, bail you out of a predicament and put you back on the road again. Do you really feel He's going to leave you on your own now? Of course he isn't. Get your praise music on and start jumping, shouting and singing to God for His faithfulness to you now and for what He is going to bring you in the future. What are you believing Him for? Trust Him, accept it by faith and believe that it's on the way to you.

It is time to look up and be grateful. Its time to thank Jesus for salvation and friendship. It is time to get ready for what He has in store for you. Think big because He is a big God and there is no stopping Him. 

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com