By Dr. Matthew Harding, Pastor, The WELL Community Church
Our God is a gracious and merciful God! He has been this to you and He has been this to me. Even when things do not go well and when we experience overwhelming loss and grief, the Lord is no less gracious.
We find God in these deep times of sorrow as our ever-present help (Psalm 46:1) and merciful God who knows how to weep with us and care perfectly for us (John 11:35). Truly, our God is gracious and merciful, full of bounty and is a Father who knows how and loves to give gifts to His children (James 1:17).
We, as a church, recently have received a gift that is definitely from above. God has graciously given our growing church the gift of land in our area, land that we can one day build upon and with which expand our reach to our community. Since you live in this area, with rising costs everywhere, you know what a true gift this is!
The Lord is providing for His church and for our future in Him. But for what? What does God expect from us in the meantime as our future unfolds day by day? These are relevant questions as much for our church as it is for you (yes you, the reader).
Just as God is providing for our future and has called us into obedience to Him in the meantime, so God is calling you into active obedience as He is providing for your future (Jeremiah 29:11).
So, what does God want from you and me? He wants us to be grateful and active! Just like you want your children and friends to be grateful when you sacrifice for them and give them good gifts, so God wants us to be grateful for all He has provided in our lives.
When is the last time you just spent time naming all of your blessings from God? When you do this, make time to thank our gracious and merciful God for His provision in your life. The Bible teaches this very simple lesson – “Be Grateful” (Colossians 3:15).
So, as you begin your summer activities and take in all that God has provided for you this past year, let me encourage you (from one of God’s grateful children to another), to list all of your bounty from God and thank Him for His merciful provision over your life.
God alone is worthy of our praise, adoration, worship, and THANKS! May we lead our families, our churches, and communities in this area to be a generation of grateful and active Christians who live to love God and love others well! “Give thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34).
The Pastor’s Place features columns written by a different area church leader each month.Call 940-728-8284 for more information.
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