It's All His!

Have you seen the quote that says, "What if all you had when you woke up today was what you thanked God for yesterday."?  It makes you think, doesn't it?  If that truly happened, each day we would be more diligent to pray for the things that are the most important to us, wouldn't we?  Of course we would!

I'll add to that thought a quote from a recent sermon from our minister:  "Nothing we have is ours.  It is God's.  He has loaned it to us."  And I'll go a step further and say that God can - at any time - decide He wants it back!  Not as a mean, uncaring God, but sometimes just to show us that all of this "stuff, things, and even the people in our lives" is His.  Maybe He wants us to learn to rely more on Him and less on all that "stuff" that really isn't ours.  Or perhaps He wants us to be more grateful for all we have.  Or maybe He's just finished loaning it out and wants it back.  After all, it belongs to Him.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

1 Timothy 6:17

We humans are greedy, by nature.  We're like the pelicans on "Finding Nemo" who shout out "MINE! MINE! MINE!!" over and over and over.  We're selfish.  We want what is ours and often want what is YOURS, too.

So back to the original thought...of thanking God for what we have today.  Isn't it easier to be thankful for it all when we realize how blessed we are by what God has given us?  Isn't it easier to think clearly about what we're thankful for if we think about the fact it might not be here tomorrow?

Gratitude should constantly be on our lips and in our hearts.  Our loving, caring, heavenly Father has been so good to us - no matter how rich or poor we are here on earth.  He gave us the hope - a confident expectation - in what is to come when this earthly life is over.  A home in Heaven with God and Jesus forever and ever!  That promise is for every one of His children...for all whose names are written in the book of Life.

So, Christian, be thankful for what He has given you today.  And remember, He is only loaning it to you.  Some day He will want it all back.  He's even loaned you to someone.  Someday He's going to want you back, too.

He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 

Revelation 3:5

Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 21:27