One of the things that grieves God the most is when we turn his blessings into an occasion to turn away from him. We have a tendency, when God blesses us, to start trusting in the things that God gives us rather than in God himself. It is a case of the giver being rejected because of the greatness of the gift. Sounds terrible doesn’t it? Yet it is a tendency that is all too common for Christians. The heart has a way of letting go of God when we have things that we can touch and see. To counter this tendency, we must learn always to see the love of God in the gifts he gives. God blesses us because he loves us and, if we receive the blessings without embracing and returning the love, then we have missed the point. Also, if we enjoy God’s gifts whilst ignoring God, we thereby deprive ourselves of the most enjoyable aspect of the gift that God gives. Think of the thrill of a woman who receives flowers from the man she loves. The joy she has is not just created by the material worth and aesthetic beauty of the flowers. The flowers are received as a token of the man’s love and this is what makes them so wonderful. Whenever she looks at them sitting in the vase on the table, she feels a twinge of joy knowing that she is loved. That is how it must be with us and the gifts of God. Whenever you walk into your home and see the material blessings God has given you, let it remind you of his love.
Thank God for his blessings and gifts.
Read Deuteronomy 8
