Today’s Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” -Romans 9:20
The year my son Randy and his wife installed a wood-burning stove in their home, they were afraid their two-year-old boy might burn himself. So they spent a lot of time warning him about the dangers of the stove. One day Randy fired it up and let the lad feel the heat. He not only wanted his little boy to know what not to do, but also why he shouldn’t get too close to the stove.
That is what the Lord does with you and me. He not only warns us to keep away from various dangers that can hurt us spiritually and damage our daily walk of discipleship, but He also tells us why. Take, for instance, the problem of greed and covetousness. This is one of the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses: “You shall not set your desire on…anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Deuteronomy 5:21).
Why shouldn’t I covet what someone else has? The overriding reason is that when I inwardly complain that my neighbor has a new lawnmower and I have to use an old one, I am accusing God of mismanagement of His resources. He owns everything; if He has seen fit to give something to my neighbor and overlooks me in the process, that’s His business.
So it’s not only an accusation of mismanagement, it’s a lack of faith in the wisdom of God! I am actually telling the Lord that I have a better plan for my life than He does. I am proclaiming myself smarter than God and more loving than God. Let’s learn to keep things in proper perspective.
Prayer
Lord, create in me a grateful heart for my life and all it comprises. Amen.
To Ponder
How long is your list of God’s blessings?
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