Off & Running

45. You Have Brought Me This Far

In the busyness of our day to day existence, we are always looking to the next thing on our agenda and new things to get involved in. These are often accompanied by new requests to God for help, so it's probably good to make it a habit to take time to reflect on what God has been doing in our lives.

Scientific and psychological studies have proven the positive effects of keeping a gratitude journal. Being thankful for what has happened in the past is something that we Christians are already pretty good at! We definitely have an advantage because we regularly spend time giving thanks together at church in prayer and praise. In addition, having One to direct our gratitude to is even more beneficial than just listing things you are grateful for.

In our reading today, King David had just heard from God via the prophet Nathan and was ready to respond in prayer:

"Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: "Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human! "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. "How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears."
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭7:18-22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever felt gratitude like David expressed at the beginning of his prayer? "Who am I.....that You have brought me this far?" When we reflect over the course of our lives and not just the past day or week, it is overwhelming to see how God has brought us such a long way! David also talks about how God has spoken about the future for his family line and if you think about it, we also can be grateful for the way God has spoken about our future in His Word.

Living this side of the Cross, we have the hope of Eternal Life and so much more even before we get to Heaven! God's promises in the Bible are for us right now and are yes and amen in Christ! The only conclusion David can come to as he expresses his gratitude is that God is indeed great and there is no one like Him! Is that your conclusion too? Perhaps you could put aside some time this week to write a prayer to Him, listing all the things you can thank Him for. You are sure to come to the same conclusion!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

I am so blessed! Who am I, that You have brought me this far? I don't deserve all Your goodness but in Jesus, I am worthy of it all! Thank You for Your love in sending Your only Son to die on the Cross for me. It is so good that I don't have to carry my sins around with me, feeling guilty and ashamed because Jesus carried them in His body. He paid my punishment and I am free! As if that were not enough, You have given me the Bible to read and the many promises for the future, so I need never be afraid. You are with me now and will be all the way to Eternity! How great You are!!

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.