APPRECIATING GOD

“If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul. “Blessed be the Lord Who has not given us as prey to their teeth” (Psalm 124:2-6).
King David was a man who had an appreciating heart and this endeared him to God. With hymns, songs, instruments and his resources, he appreciated God because he saw the hand of God in every situation his people, Israel and himself had and were going through. He never focussed on how enormous his problems were or turned to blame God for being responsible for any adverse situation. He always had faith in God’s ability to deliver him and his people from every untoward situation.  He had testimonies of  God always coming to their rescue and the problems turning out to be stepping stones for his and his people’s greatness. In Psalm 124 David asked the children of Israel to reflect on their past and see God’s hand of deliverance that was always available to them. He appreciated God and acknowledged that their “…help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
We most times drown ourselves in the negative side of the various situations that confront us individually or as a nation and we either feel that God has left us or we never see how He can take us out from such situations. We look at our country and are wont to lose hope. We believe we are headed for ultimate destruction and that everything about us and those that govern us is bad and there is no remedy. We focus only on the negative things we see around us and fail to notice areas of progress in our individual lives and in our nation, for which we should thank God. We fail to believe that our God hears, cares and is willing to intervene on the negative things that come our way. We fail to believe in His word in 1 Corinthians 10:13 where Paul wrote “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” (Good News Translation).
Paul is saying that these things happen naturally to people but God has given us the strength to endure them and would also provide a way out for us.
We are on the last Sunday before Year 2013 Christmas and two Sundays to Year 2014.  What is our attitude to our experience in the year?  Are we seeing the hand of God that had not allowed us to be consumed in the year, a hand which provided us food, gave us accomplishment in our various fields of endeavour and that has lifted us to greater grounds?  Are we appreciating God for these things that He has done for us?
The Scripture is replete with blessings for those that had appreciated God, especially in times where many would be seeing dead ends. The future for Noah should look bleak having lost friends and business partners through the flood, but his first action on coming out of the ark was that of thanksgiving to God. “Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20). For this act of faith and appreciation God blessed the earth. In verses 21- 22 “the Lord smelled a soothing aroma (from Noah’s sacrifice). Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”
Beloved, let us focus more on the positive things around us and appreciate God for them with hymns, instruments and our resources that we may be a blessing to mankind and reap more favours from God. And for things that appear negative, let us remember Paul’s writing in Romans 2:28 “And we know that in all things, God works for the good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Have  a fulfilling week as you appreciate the God who hears, cares and intervenes in your life situations.

Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
S. Igein Isemede