“An Attitude of Gratitude”
Ex. 17:1-7; Psalm 95
Journeys of faith are not easy. They are filled with unexpected and often, unpleasant surprises. They lead us into contact with people we neither like nor understand, and of course, the road is filled with temptations. It is difficult to walk by faith... but it is much easier, and certainly more joyful, when we are filled with gratitude. This is the 6th in a series of Lenten meditations that I have written for our congregation. If it speaks to you, that would be good.
Scripture (Please read both passages)
Reflection
Years ago, someone encouraged me to write a
gratitude list every morning for the rest of my life. He said it would improve
my health… and that it might even be a life-saving practice for a discontented
soul like me. So, I began to practice this discipline. Sometimes I forgot
to do it altogether, sometimes I did it mentally… but I tried to start each day with an attitude of gratitude. I had to try…because I was so
constantly unhappy. I had a family who loved me, a good job, a number of friends, enough
money, more power than I could handle, and a wealth of opportunity… but I also had a bad cases if the "ifs," which is an unsettling spiritual and emotional disease. I could be somebody, I thought, if my parents had
done a better job of rearing me, if my wife was more supportive, if I’d moved
to a different city when I was younger, if I’d chosen a different career, if I was taller, thinner, or better looking, I would be happy. Even though God had already lifted me from the depths of despair and even though I knew that I had been blessed with a second chance, I was not satisfied, in part because I was preoccupied with my own wants
and needs... and in part, because I didn't really trust God. Like the Israelites of old, I knew that God had worked a wonder in my life, and I appreciated it- I really did- but I did not trust him! I prayed to him, and I had joined a church by then... but I didn't trust him, which meant that I was still anxious about matters of security, advancement, and comfort, but I wasn't the first to assign God the role of "helper" without surrendering control.
Consider the Israelites that we join in the 17th chapter of Exodus. They had been freed from centuries of slavery and promised a land of “milk and honey” forever- no small thing. They had seen a large body of water separate and stand on end as they passed through, and they knew that it was God who had delivered them, but still they didn't trust. One would think that a people who had just been freed from slavery would be gushing with gratitude, but they grumbled from the beginning to the end of their journey. They complained about their leaders, their fears, and about the quality of their food, but in the passage before us, they complained about a lack of water. Not having water is, of course, a problem- even worse than not being taller- but instead of exercising faith and patience, they quarreled with Moses and sarcastically questioned his motives for rescuing them.
Consider the Israelites that we join in the 17th chapter of Exodus. They had been freed from centuries of slavery and promised a land of “milk and honey” forever- no small thing. They had seen a large body of water separate and stand on end as they passed through, and they knew that it was God who had delivered them, but still they didn't trust. One would think that a people who had just been freed from slavery would be gushing with gratitude, but they grumbled from the beginning to the end of their journey. They complained about their leaders, their fears, and about the quality of their food, but in the passage before us, they complained about a lack of water. Not having water is, of course, a problem- even worse than not being taller- but instead of exercising faith and patience, they quarreled with Moses and sarcastically questioned his motives for rescuing them.
Indeed, they were “almost ready to stone” Moses (Ex. 17:4)
when he turned to God. Well, God provided water, of course, by bringing it out
of a rock (17:6), but the place was given an ugly pair of names,[1] to
signify the lack of faith that the people displayed. They seemed short on
memory and even shorter on gratitude. They had seen and experienced the power
of God. They knew that God was able to save them, but they didn’t trust Him to
be willing, and more importantly, they had not fallen in love with God. This is
important because gratitude and obedience are both borne of love. Indeed, the
“old” covenant was based on love. It included rules… but it was based on God’s
grace-filled invitation and His people’s loving obedience. Without love,
gratitude is impossible. Without love, people will always be driven by their
own needs and desires, and they will never feel contentment until they trust
that God loves them. In short, a river of water would have staved off their
grumbling… for awhile, because their deeper problem was a lack of gratitude.
Their more serious problem was spiritual.
Thus, the psalmist calls us to focus on worship and praise,
and he suggests that instead of worrying about the things we need (or think we
need), we will be much happier if we come to God “with thanksgiving and extol
him with music and song!” (Ps. 95:1-2) It is far better to trust and obey than
to question and second-guess, and it is also more appropriate… because the Lord
is our Maker and we are the “flock under his care.” (95:6-7) Real joy is NOT
dependent on God meeting our every want; NOR is it dependent on God “proving”
himself to us. Both of these positions are childish and spiritually immature.
Our joy comes from KNOWING our God… because knowing leads to TRUSTING… and
trusting leads to CONTENTMENT…which is kin to GRATITUDE. Happiness is not as
much a state of mind, as it is a state of spirit. It is not a matter of will,
and certainly not a matter of chance. Our own actions have little to do with
it. We cannot buy happiness, or track it down. It comes to those who know
themselves to be created, called, and saved by God. Knowing this gives them a lasting
smile and their souls break into mile-wide grins.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. Write a specific and complete
Gratitude List, and refer to it throughout Lent.
2. Have you ever known a “season
of discontent?” Explain.
3. Put yourself in a Hebrew’s
sandals. After walking through the divided waters of the Red
Sea , would you have questioned or grumbled against God?
4. Are you “in love” with God?
Does it show in the way you live?
5. The Bible says that God is the
potter and we are the pottery. Thus, God can make us into anything He
chooses, and more than that, He can smash what He started and start over again.
If He makes you into a piece of art- or an object that no one would find
appealing; if He puts you on display, or sets you in a
backroom somewhere; if you are rich and famous, or poor and unknown, big and
beautiful, or small and homely… are you content with all of these
possibilities? Are you content to let God have His way with you? Explain.
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