Everyday is a gift from God

Colossians 1:9-14

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Today's ODB title is very interesting: "What God owe us". Of course, God doesn't owe us anything! But it is us who at times, or perhaps many times behave as though He owe us alot. We've often taken His goodness and grace for granted: blaming or being upset with Him for not answering our prayers, yet on the other hand forgetting to thank Him when He blesses us.

In line with my previous post, this passage and ODB re-affirms the lesson that I believe the Holy Spirit is teaching me. That is, not to take God for granted. And not to take my status as a Christian for granted too.

Being able to wake up alive and healthy every morning is a miracle and gift of life from God day after day. And being able to call myself a Christian and child of God is the priviledge that is bought at a costly price, but given to me free.

Today, I realised that I can do nothing for myself...I can't keep myself alive if not for God's breath of life in me...and I can't freely go before God and talk to Him if Christ does not stand with me to represent me as my high priest. I realise that life is really not in my control at all, it is God who is in control of my life. I'm alive only as long as He keeps His breath of life in me. The moment He takes it away, my physical body become nothing more than an empty shell.

Lessons learnt:
1. Be grateful each day when we find that we still can wake up alive. Everyday is a gift of life from God.
2. Live out our gratefulness in our actions ie try our best to live a life worthy of what He has done for us and given to us.
3. Learn to stop complaining as this is a very destructive habit. It's a no. 1 sign of ungratefulness. It cost the Israelites the chance of entering the Promised Land God had intended for them!