Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.
Last night as I was walking out of the chapel after the meeting was over, I looked back into that room and was filled with gratitude.
Grateful for the things that God had done in the meeting.
Those little pieces of heaven and His presence that seem to move in and out of our gathering. Times when the singing and worship take on a life of its own and seem to be filled with more voices than are present. Times when the veil between this world and the other side grows very thin and the two almost touch. When what I am teaching on becomes infused with God's Holy Spirit and I am aware that it is no longer me who is teaching, but God.
I can't speak for other pastors or leaders, I can only view these things through my own understanding. Each Saturday night, has been an opportunity to gather in that chapel to meet God. To be touched by Him, changed by Him and empowered by Him to tell our stories. Last night was not exception, but in the midst of our meeting, I found myself thinking...."Wow! God, how can you to this one!" You know what? Next Saturday night, He will. How can I be so sure? Because what draws God to any gathering are hungry hearts. People who come expecting to meet with God. People who are hungry to hear His word. People that are hungry to worship and come before Him. God is drawn to such as this. The moment we loose our hunger for God is the moment that He will stop His visitation. The Bible states that Jesus could not demonstrate the power of God in his own hometown because the people had little faith. A good friend of mine coined the phrase "Permanently Desperate" as a way of describing how he has to live. Permanently desperate for God!
It's hard to be desperate for God if your heart is filled with love for this world. Love for "Stuff" and the shiny baubles and beads that have no real value. As people who are moving out of addiction, it is easy to have filled up our life with worthless "things." The funny part is that God views them as worthless and of no use but the sin nature refuses to believe it. The one incredible aspect of recovery at Rapha is getting to watch someone come to the awakening that the things they have counted as valuable are nothing more than garbage. I am always grateful when that "light" comes on and the truth of God begins to work in their hearts. Over a period of time, they develop a sense of gratitude. They become aware of all the little things around them they have ignored over the years, that God is now giving back. The ability to enjoy life and experience it in new ways.
A cup of coffee is no longer just a cup of coffee. It is something to be savored and enjoyed. Sunrises and sunsets are the highlight of a day. Nature, rain storms, lightning and full moons all become a part of the gratitude now developing in one whose heart has been changed. Reading the Bible is now done because a hunger has been born to know the Word of God. Smiles and laughter become a part of everyday life. Learning how to handle disappointment and failure become tools for when life comes hard at us. And pour huge heaping mounds of gratitude over all of it and we have the recipe for change. God is good! Every day! Every way!
Be grateful today.
Don't let the world rob you of this incredible gift given to us by our Heavenly Father.
God on you.
mb
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