Thursday, May 1, 2008

Ingratitude

“Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”  (Romans 1:21)

A man who was nailing down a loose shingle on a roof lost his footing and began to slip.  Working three stories above the ground, he was terrified at the thought of falling to his death.  He started shouting, “God, help me!  I am falling!  God, do something!” 

Just as he came to the edge of the roof, his belt loop caught on a nail and stopped him long enough to grab hold again.  He shouted, “It’s OK, God!  I got caught on a nail.”

That is how we can be.  We cry out to God.  He answers our prayers.  Then we say, “It’s OK, God . . . everything seemed to work out.”  But do we ever stop and think that God might have worked through certain circumstances to come to our rescue?

My point is, we need to put as much zeal in thanking God for what He has done as we put into pleading with God when we are in need.

I heard about a hospital chaplain who kept a record of some 2,000 patients whom he had visited, all who seemed to be in a dying condition and showed signs of repentance.  Among those restored to health, he felt that only two showed a marked change in their spiritual lives after their recovery.  In other words, when these people thought they would die, they repented.  But when they recovered, they forgot about God.

What would you think of a person who always wanted things from you, but never offered a word of thanks in return?  We can be that way with God, can’t we?  Let’s remember to thank Him.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. 

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to  www.harvest.org.