Ungrateful

We are ungrateful people. 

I know, that’s a pretty depressing way to start a post, butit’s true.  We have so much, and yet weare consistently unsatisfied. 

Yesterday I was listening to a Cuban pastor speak aboutbeing a Christian under Castro’s regime. He said that when he was 9 years old, officials came into his classroomand asked, “who is the Christian?”  Hestood up, alone.  The rest of the class wasthen directed to spit on him, and throw papers at him.  In shame and humiliation he stood there whilethe other kids taunted him. 

When I hear a story like this, I tend to contrast it with myown ungratefulness.  How often do I forgetthe amazing gifts God has given me?  How often do I forget how good I have it?

I was also reading in my devotions this week about thewandering Israelites.  In the book ofNumbers, we are told of their many complaints. God had given them an amazing gift of food, called manna, which wasessentially honey wafers from heaven.  Yea, I said honey wafers...   from heaven.  They had enough food to eat without any effort on their part.  But how they came to despise thisgift.  They said, “Give us meat!”  So God sent them quail.  And it’s hard not to read the Lord’s humor inhis reply: “Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it…until it comesout of your nostrils and you loathe it.” (11:18-20)  This sounds like something I would say to mykids!

God loves us, and he provides for us, but he does not likeour ungratefulness.  In this season of Easter, let’s strive to cultivate hearts of thankfulness, awe and wonder, at allthat God has done for us through his Son.