Gratitude

I sang a song in church today, Gratitude by Nichole Nordemann. The lyrics to this song are amazing, and I wanted to share it with you. It really makes you think about God's blessings beyond the typical shelter, food, family, etc. that we typically think about during Thanksgiving. Basically, the song says Lord, please fill these needs but if you don't and you choose to provide in some other way, I will still give you thanks. I've been learning more and more about God's sovereignty. Growing up my idea of God was that He was watching things happen and if something bad happened, God would swoop in and makes things better. God is so much greater than that! Because God is in complete control, even bad things come from God. Yes, God is in control of evil. There is nothing that Satan can do that is not ordained by God. Romans 8:28 says, "God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." (emphasis mine) I'm not saying God is evil, nor does he do evil, but he does ordain (to establish or order by appointment) evil in order to bring about his ultimate plan. His ultimate plan is for Him to receive the glory He deserves. One way of doing that in our lives is to conform us into the image of Christ. Hardships, whether just circumstances or schemes of Satan, bring about change in our lives. Have you ever considered a job loss, a death of a loved one, cancer, a house fire, or some other tragedy to be a blessing from God? It is just that. God is so good. He has blessings for us beyond what we can ever see or imagine. I pray that this Thanksgiving you will take the time to reflect on your life, through the good and the bad, and see God's rich blessings on your life. To hear Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waYUzxK8TYA