Being Grateful
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Its hard to believe that fall is already upon us. This time of years can be one of the most pretty times. All the leave changing. The coolness in the air. But then there those years that we get snow some around this time and we cant enjoy the fall. When the snow comes early we cant really find anything to be grateful for But there are things.
During the time of Thanksgiving, a lot of people will do a gratitude challenge. This three-week series examines Scripture to see what gratitude might look like if it was practiced every day, and if we found reasons to be grateful even for the hard things in life.
This morning we will be in Genesis. So if you have your bible go head and turn to Genesis 2:5-7. If you do not have your bible you can follow along on the screen in a few minutes.
Before we look at today passage. I have a question for you. So think for a moment.
What are you grateful for?
What are you grateful for?
Your family
Close friends
Good health
Your home
Your job
Healthy food
Your education
Your pets
A good night’s sleep
The seasons
Financial Savings
Weekends
Fresh Air
Transportation
Clean Water
Technology
A good book
Art
Teachers
Modern healthcare
there are a lot of thing we can be grateful for today. Lets look at one that the bible talks about.
5 no shrub of the field had yet grown on the land, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not made it rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground.
6 But mist would come up from the earth and water all the ground.
7 Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
This was an intimate action
This was an intimate action
You see God could have just said let there be man. Just like he did when he formed everything else. Instead he took the time. He made us for the ground which we walk. He formed us in his likeness. So that we can remember who is was. You see it does not matter what skin colour you have. We are all the same on the inside. We all have a heart. We all have a brain. We all have lungs. We are all the same. God made us that way.
He breathed life into us
He breathed life into us
This is something else God did not have to do. After sending time form us in his likeness. He took the time to give us breath.This was not a one-time act of giving life to a human.
The breath of life which we breathe in and out of our lungs happens every single day and night. Job refers to his state of being this way:
3 as long as my breath is still in me and the breath from God remains in my nostrils,
In our contemporary language, we might say, “As long as I’m still breathing…”Job’s point isn’t simply about his life, but rather, that when he breathes, it isn’t simply air but God’s breath of life.
When speaking about the nature and power of God to the Athenians, Paul said, “He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). It’s the same point Job made: the very air we breathe to stay alive is a gift from God.
Every breathe is a gift
Every breathe is a gift
Every moment of every day each breath you take is an opportunity to be grateful for the gift of life.
The Eastern Orthodox have a prayer called the “Jesus Prayer.” The Jesus Prayer is a breath prayer, with strategic breathing throughout. As the first part is prayed (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God”), the person praying is breathing in. There is a pause in the breath and then they breathe out slowly while saying, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” At the end of the prayer, the person praying has released all the air from their lungs. When they go to pray or breathe again, they are reminded that even in the act of breathing, they are dependent upon the mercy of God.
A normal person at rest will take about 12 to 20 breathe a minute. Just think if you thank God for every breath that would be 20 or so. How would that change your attitude of not be thankful.
When I ask the question this morning if what are you thankful for. You might have be thinking I have nothing to be thankful for. I have nothing to be grateful for. I am in a really bad place and nothing can bring me out of it.
You do have something to be grateful for
You do have something to be grateful for
We the breath of life that God has give you. You can be thankful and grateful. NO matter what you are going through you can be grateful. It will not be easy. There will be days that you might think that all is lost and I have nothing to move on to. Just remember that God gave you life. He took the time to give you the breath of life. He wants you to know him. He is the Father that will never leave you becuase he cared so much to give you life. You see God is a loving God. He wants the best for all of us. SO when you are at the lowest of lows. You have no were else to turn. Turn to God and let him breathe into you. Let him be the rock you lean upon.
Every day you wake up is a gift that God has given you
Every day you wake up is a gift that God has given you
Our first thoughts when we wake up in the morning is to thank God that be are seeing another day.