Your Daily Devotional for October 1, 2006

 

October 1, 2006

 

 

I Don’t Feel Like It

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

 

Psalm 100:4-5

 

 

Have you ever been asked to do something but didn’t feel like doing it? Maybe as a child your parents asked you to clean your room, but you did not feel like it so you didn’t do it. Many times in life we are asked to do things by different people that we don’t feel like doing. Even so, many times we are commanded in Scriptures to do something that we won’t at that particular moment feel like doing.

 

One thing we are asked to do is to thank the Lord. God wants us to thank Him continually for all that He has done for us. We might not always feel like thanking Him. When you get hurt, your house is broken into, or your car runs out of gas, you may not feel like thanking Him. But think of it this way: you are still alive, you were not harmed, and at least you have a car! Even in the worst of situations, we can still thank God. All we need is to shift our focus off ourselves and back on Him.

 

Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” God is the only One who deserves our praise! Whether we feel like it or not, He wants us to praise Him! Some people may bristle up when they hear that and think, “Well, what is He, a dictator? He is just being selfish!” Friend, seriously stop and think about that. He is God! He doesn’t require something that He doesn’t deserve! He earned the right to require anything of us when He died on Calvary! It would do us good if we stopped and reflected upon all that Christ has done for us already.

 

If you have accepted Christ as your Saviour, He has saved you from an eternity in Hell! You don’t have to experience the pain and torture that will take place in Hell. You get to live with Christ eternally in a mansion in Heaven! Until we realize how horrible Hell is, we will never understand how great Heaven is. When you grasp the concept that Christ, the spotless Lamb, came from Heaven to die for you personally, an unworthy wretched sinner, you will not have a hard time praising Him continuously!

 

An atheist was walking through the woods, admiring the “accidents” that evolution had created. As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Turning to look, he saw a seven-foot grizzly bear charging towards him. As he was running away, he tripped and fell to the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up, but the bear was right over him, reaching for him with its left paw and raising its right paw to strike him. At that instant the atheist cried out to God. Time stopped and the bear froze. As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky, “You deny my existence for all these years, teach others that I don’t exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?” The atheist looked directly into the light and said, “I would feel like a hypocrite to become a Christian after all these years, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian?” “Very well,” said the voice. The light went out. Then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, and spoke: “Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful.”

 

Friend, remember that in any situation we can find reason to thank God. Take time today to reflect upon all He has done for you! Then make it a point to thank God in all that you do today. It will change your outlook on life and make you a better Christian!

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