Thankful, Even When My Banana is Taken

It is easy to be thankful when we get our banana, but what if the banana is snatched from our hands and smashed in front of us. That becomes the real test of a thankful heart. - Clint Decker

Our second oldest great-granddaughter asked grandma for a banana, then after she received it and began to walk off, I questioned her, “Now Avi, what do you say?” Quickly she responded, “Thank you, grandma!” (Image by Pixabay)

Avi is 4 years old. These early years are the times to teach little one’s thankfulness. A National and Religion Spiritual Survey reported how about 60% of Americans experience thankfulness at least once a day. I am sure Avi was among that number when she received her banana.

It is easy to be thankful when things are going well. Right? When we have good health, plenty of money, a strong marriage and family, when business is booming, when everything is sailing along in the right direction. That is when our gratitude meter is off the charts.

But the evidence of a thankful heart is really shown when it is tested.

The Bible speaks of a man who experienced this. “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1) In one day, due to natural disasters and a heartless rogue of bandits, all his children were killed, his entire business destroyed and his personal health ruined by an incurable disease. All he had left was his wife and his own weakened life. Yet, what were some of the first words he was able to say in response? “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) As things became worse, it took a toll on his wife. She challenged her husband, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:9-10)

It is easy to be thankful when we get our banana, but what if the banana is unjustly snatched from our hands and smashed in front of us, just to make us angry. Then what? That becomes the real test of a thankful heart.

In the face of tremendous tragedy, Job was able to maintain a grateful spirit. That does not mean he was without pain, heartache or deep discouragement. Rather, in the middle of it all, he was able to keep his mind’s eye fixed on God and give Him praise.

Not all of us will go through such horrible tragedies, but we will have bad days at work, the pressure of ever-growing bills, conflict in our marriage or frustration over something. And in those moments, instead of showing gratitude, we blast out anger, impatience or bitterness.

All of us have done this. No one is perfect.

The Bible says about God, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4-5) God calls us to approach Him with thanks, even on bad days. When we do, we will end up treating others the same. Being grateful toward others, even our enemies, is how we love our neighbor, which is one of the Great Commandments of God.

But how? It is hard. We live in an entitled society that is filled with narcissists and arrogant people. We may even be one of those. First, we start with an acknowledgement. “God, I apologize for acting like a spoiled brat sometimes and not being very grateful toward you or others.” Second, we ask for help, “Lord, I do not have the power to live a grateful life on my own. You will have to help me to live according to your ways.” Third, place your trust in Jesus, “God, I believe in what your Son did on the cross. I trust not in myself, but in Him to transform me.”

A prayer for you. Father in heaven, we acknowledge our harshness toward others, especially our family. We are sorry for taking advantage of people and not being more thankful toward them. Change us O God into a grateful people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Stiff-Necked Sunday Christians

Stiff-necked Christians are deceived. They should know better. Their belief system has blinded them to the truth. - Clint Decker 

We love our dog, Buster. But there are times when he refuses to cooperate. On occasions when we say “come,” he will stay right where he is at. We might even put a leash on him, and he will dig in. Our loveable Buster, at times, becomes “stiff-necked.” (Image by freepik)

Ancient farmers would use the term to describe uncooperative oxen. A team would be harnessed and ready to pull a plow or cart for work, but sometimes an ox would dig in and not go as directed, no matter what the farmer did.

This picture eventually became a spiritual metaphor in the Bible for religious people that stubbornly refused to follow God’s ways. God Himself used the term to describe His own people whom He had a covenant relationship with, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.’” (Exodus 32:9) At times, God would direct one of His preachers to confront them. Stephen once boldly spoke before a crowd, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” (Acts 7:51)

Centuries ago, there were some desperate leaders that came to Jeremiah, a well-known preacher. He had been speaking God’s Word in Israel for decades, and the nation urgently needed to hear from God. They said to Jeremiah, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us….” (Jeremiah 42:2) After Jeremiah agreed, they replied, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us.” (Jer. 42:5) Out of love for God and them, Jeremiah hide himself away for 10 days, and sought the Lord on their behalf. Afterward, he called the people together and shared all that God had spoken. He did not hide anything. How did they respond? They gave an immediate and very obstinate response, telling Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say [those things].” (Jer. 43:3)

This an example of being stiff-necked. God gave them direction, but they did not want to follow. The Bible says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Hebrews 3:7-8) A stiff-necked person is one who has a hardening of their heart toward God’s instructions. It is a stubbornness that refuses to follow God’s ways. And it is interesting that the term is only used of God’s people. Why? Because they should know better.

Professing Christians have the Word of God. They read, study and memorize it, and hear it expounded upon in church. They take the cup and bread in Holy Communion and also step into the waters of baptism. They have what others do not, and with that comes a greater level of responsibility. Therefore, when God speaks through His faithful servants, He expects obedience, but instead what He often sees, is a hardness of heart.

Stiff-necked Sunday Christians are deceived. They should know better. Their dangerous belief system has blinded them to the truth. Their beliefs have a particular narrative that supersedes the authority of Scripture, and is subject to the way they view the world, and how they choose to live.

The most significant display of stiff-necked religious people the world has ever seen, was the cross. Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and fulfilled all the Scriptures foretelling it. Yet, because Jesus did not fit the picture of what they were expecting, they became biblical revisionists and refused to believe in Him. Then they took things a step further, they killed Him. Though their stubbornness was immense, Christ overcome their evil when He rose from the dead. Then despite their crimes against Him, Jesus was graciously willing to forgive all who would repent and place their faith in Him.

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray you will drop the scales of stubbornness from the eyes of people. Soften their hard hearts. Tender their stiff necks. For the sake of their lives and eternal souls bring them to be made new this hour. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What’s Inside You? Life or Death?

Death is everywhere. Did it have a beginning, or has it always been with us? - Clint Decker 

Have you ever been asked, “Are you saved?” or heard a variation of that from someone or even a preacher talk about it? What exactly does that mean, and strangely as it may sound, how does it relate to life and death? (Image from livingalignment.com)  

Unfortunately, death is all around us. It is part of our personal lives and the culture of our communities. We see it in the form of tragedy when a school experiences the greatest of horrors, where a sadistic killer takes the lives of innocent and defenseless children.

Death can also come in the form of disease or sickness. Whatever it is, all of us, from the moment of birth, are set on a certain path toward our own end. Obituaries, funerals and beautifully manicured cemeteries all remind us of this.

We also observe death in nature through plants, flowers, trees and in the animal kingdom too. Death is everywhere. Did it have a beginning, or has it always been with us? It first appeared thousands of years ago in the lives of our first parents, Adam and Eve. They once lived on earth’s most beautiful place, the Garden of Eden. After God created them, He laid down boundaries with stern consequences about the fruit of a particular tree, saying, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17)

In history’s most consequential act, they disobeyed God and immediately death entered into our world. Through their sin death came. For God said to man, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen. 3:19)

Death came upon all of creation, which included more than physical death. It also included a spiritual death, where mankind, who once walked with God, became separated from Him. And since God was the author of life, that spiritual life was lost, where though man was alive on the outside, he became dead on the inside. It took the form of an inner darkness that produced slavery to his evil desires, leading to the weight of shame and guilt for His actions that lay heavy upon him. Emptiness. Hopelessness. It all is part of this curse of sin and death.

Yet, God in His perfect wisdom and love, would not leave us to ourselves. Instead, He sent His Only Son to earth that people might be saved from this curse. Jesus, fully God and man, was a perfect being that never sinned. He willingly took the penalty of death, that was due for you and me. He bore upon His shoulders every evil thought, word and deed of the whole world. He became separated from the life of His Father and died a torturous ending on a cruel cross. Then three days later, He rose from the dead! His resurrection conquered sin and death. Then Christ declared that all who turn from their sin and place their complete faith in Him, would have the curse of sin and death lifted, and the life of Christ poured into them. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

For all who trust in Christ and walk in faithfulness with Him, though one day they will die, yet they will live forever in the presence of God. Gone will be the darkness, and present for eternity will be light and life of Jesus. The Bible says, “…there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Have you been saved?

A prayer for you – Lord God, if someone has the curse of sin and death dwelling within them, help them to understand the good news of Jesus today. Bring them to admit their sin before you and call upon you with all their heart. Bring them to fully trust in you and be truly saved. Deliver them from sin and death, and give them the indwelling light and life of Jesus. In His name. Amen.