Daily Devotional
Are You Thankful at Heart?
“Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.”
James 1:17
August 16, 2020
Ponder This
A Congressman told his pastor about a time he took his son to McDonald's for some father-son fellowship. He said,
My son ordered a large order of fries. As I sat there, the fries smelled so good, I reached out my hand to get a couple. But my son said, “Hey! Those are mine!” It flew all over me. I started thinking, “Doesn’t he know who bought those fries and gave them to him? Doesn’t he know I could go up there and order twenty orders of fries and bury him in French fries? And that I could take them away or go buy some for myself? Doesn’t he know that I’m just trying to have fellowship with him?”
Then God spoke to my heart. “My son, that’s the way you are with Me sometimes. I’ve given you blessings, and when I ask for a part of that blessing, you say, ‘Hey, that’s mine.’ Son, don’t you know I could take that whole thing from you if I wanted to? And don’t you know, if I wanted to, I could give you more? And don’t you know that I don’t need that? I am God. I have anything I want, for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness ” (Psalm 24:1). And don’t you know that I was wanting to have some fellowship with you?”
Practice This
Oh, friend, may God have mercy upon the spirit of greed that’s in our hearts! May we understand that all that we have has come from God—and thank Him for all He has done for us.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Real Truth Never Changes
Real truth never changes, and the truth about government is that it is God who ordains it, leaders who are responsible for it, and citizens who are accountable to it. The privilege of being called Americans comes with significant responsibilities—to God, to each other, and to the world.
