"Gratitude"

"Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul." (Psalms 66:16) "Oh that it would be different", was the message of God's heart. (Deuteronomy 6:29) All that He wants for us, and we still have room for doubt in our hearts. Maybe not doubts about His being there, but doubts about His goodness that He has towards us; as if we suspect that there is some sort of motive other than Him wanting to protect us, like maybe He just wants to keep us from having fun, like the rest of the world. You know, it's not much different from what we thought of our parents, when they told us not to play in the street; they were just trying to stop us from having fun; especially if it was dark outside, and you just wanting to run around in the street like the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. These are "Life and Death" principles that we tend to overlook; meaning, that if we do them we live, but if we don't; well, let's just say, things can get really ugly if we don't. Yet, it really does not need to be this way, if we would just love Him with a grateful heart! One of the most famous verses in the Old Testament, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD", has attached to it a list of conditions that come with listening. The first and most important condition is that of obedience; your really not listening if you don't obey what is being said. Secondly, His words must be kept close to our hearts; the words of a Loving Father assisting and guiding us through a dangerous world. Thirdly, that we teach them to those that we love; reinforcing the meaning and direction of His words towards our lives. Fourthly, that we put constant reminders all around us, reminding us of the importance of listening to each and every word; never adding to, or taking away from anything that is written. And after we do, and continue to do all of this, when we get blessed because we our living well in this life, we must not forget how God has delivered us from "The Iron Furnace", and how everything in this world means nothing compared to having fellowship with Him. (Deuteronomy 6:4-15) I know what your thinking, that seems like a lot of conditions that make things conditional; but we have only one real condition, which is so very simple, but sometimes forgotten... "And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5) NLT