By Rev Tan Eng Boo
These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up….”
(Psalm 104:27, 28).
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
(Matthew 6: 26).
Naure has lots of biblical lessons to teach us. I recall once seeing a Great-billed Heron with a big catch in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve through my camera and long lens. I am always amazed at how easy herons find their food every day. All it did was to walk in the shallow water during low tide and picked up that huge fish. It brings to mind that the Psalmist says,
“O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (Psalm 104:24).
We are a blessed people in Singapore. If you think about the needs you have, it may be the "extras" in life that we seek than the basic necessities. The Bible reminds us to
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Furthermore, we are told,
“But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:8).
Our needs in this context are always met. We are a very comfortable people. If I look on Facebook, I see many posts by friends and loved ones of the sumptuous meals they have. Aren’t we blessed of God?
When I see the photo of the Great-billed Heron with a big fish, I can only think of all the good things the Lord has blessed us in Singapore. My God, indeed, has supplied all my basic needs. Don’t we have enough food and water to consume every day? We have clothing and a house to live in, too. So blessed!
With our basic needs met, it's always a great reminder of the bountiful blessings which God has bestowed upon us, and that we should always be thankful to the Lord. We must not be complainers and grumblers.
We must follow King David’s example:
“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being” (Psalm 104:33).
Gratitude helps us see God!
The more we thank Him, the more we will see God working in and around us. We will sense His presence with us. Have you counted your blessings every day? The hymn writer, Johnson Oatman, Jr. wrote:
When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done
This is a beautiful reminder to give thanks for the loving grace in our life from God. God truly gives us so many blessings every single day. Some may even be so small that we might overlook them. Indeed, the Lord has been good to us every day. He has supplied all my needs. Take a few moments to thank God for His goodness, love and faithfulness. This is definitely a pause we all need to take.
An Illustration on Thankfulness and Entitlement
Pastor Alan Smith tells the story of two old friends who bumped into one another on the street one day. One of them looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, "What has the world done to you, my old friend?"
The sad fellow said, "Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, an uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars."
"That's a lot of money."
"But you see, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand free and clear."
"Sounds like you've been blessed...."
"You don't understand!" he interrupted. "Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million."
Now he was really confused. "Then, why do you look so glum?"
"This week... nothing!"
That's the trouble with receiving something on a regular basis. Even if it is a gift, we eventually come to expect it. Someone once suggested to me a way to test someone's character. Give him (or her) $5 a day for a month. Then stop, and see what his reaction is. The natural tendency is that if we receive a gift long enough, we come to view it as an entitlement. We feel hurt, even angry, if we don't receive it any longer.
It's the same way with the blessings God gives us every day. I don't deserve the comfortable home I live in, the beautiful scenery around me, the clean water that I drink. But after receiving these gifts (and a multitude of others) for years, I sometimes fail to be grateful. I've come to expect these good things. And when one of them is removed for a short while (like the water being cut off), I get upset.
Make an effort today to recognize the blessings you've come to take for granted. Focus on what you have rather than on what you don't have, and see if it doesn't improve your attitude.
(Alan Smith’s Thought for the Day)
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