Gratitude In The Desert

What if you and I were somehow found to be stranded - wandering in the desert, lost without hope, dehydrated and suffering from starvation? And what if the Lord suddenly appeared out of nowhere holding a small cup of warm water, a stale dried crust of bread and a few dried figs and offered them to us with a promise to continually provide us with more of the same as He leads us the long, long way out of the wilderness?

How would we respond? Would we complain that the water was warm and not enough? Would we complain that the bread was stale and hard? Would we argue that we knew that this was such a 

meager offer in comparison with what we knew that He was able to provide and ask for something more? ...

... Or would we acknowledge that what He offered belonged to Him alone and that this life sustaining offer was something that we had no right or title to in the first place and was thereby purely a gift of compassionate grace? Would we be willing to not only acknowledge, but openly confess our complete dependence on His grace not only to sustain us, but to lead us out? One might assume that having fallen on the welcome mat of death's door prior, our heart and mind should be consumed with gratitude and praise for such compassion and undeserved favor ... but would they? Are they?

If you know the history of the Exodus and the wanderings of the Children of Israel, how many thousands of the Children of Israel died in the wilderness while the Lord, through Moses lead them as a direct result of God's response to their ungrateful complaining? What can we take from this example in understanding how He feels about our complaining and ingratitude? There's nothing that we eat, cover ourselves with or otherwise utilize or enjoy that did not originate with what God Himself created and provided in the earth ... and still owns sovereignly. 

So for what, and how often should I be honestly grateful? I wonder how many times I consider this while clean water runs through my hands into the sink and down the drain - something that others elsewhere in the world might consider an amazing and wondrous gift? How about having gratitude when I eat, walk, sleep safely, wake up or even just breathe?

Some might say that's a little extreme. I say it's not enough. From the very origin of time God has made provision to sustain us. Per His plan He created a world designed to continue to provide for us and set it into motion. Then He created us. Each life is a gift - not something we deserve. The only true rights we have are those determined by the one who gave us life. All shapes, sizes and conditions of human life are an opportunity to exercise an option to cross the threshold of eternity as a holy and completely whole resemblance of Christ - not an opportunity we deserved, but an opportunity made possible by God's own excruciating and intensely personal suffering, humility and sacrifice ...

This is probably going to sound old and repetitive, but if you live surrounded by the same ungrateful and rebellious world that I live in, I don't think we can hear it enough. We are not our own and we are not alone. We were created by God and we continue to belong to Him completely - He owns what He has created. In the reality of Father God's economy, my account was overdrawn the day I was born, but His faithful attention and kindness has continually sustained me while He trains me for a future that I have no right of my own to deserve. We're completely subject to His authority and completely dependent on His grace to sustain us moment by moment. We are NOT and never have been our own masters and our true dependence on Him is complete, regardless of any appearances to the contrary. 

So what then? Back to the desert. What if you and I were somehow found to be stranded in the desert lost without hope, dehydrated and suffering from starvation? Most of us live in a world of foolishly ungrateful, spoiled, physically mature children. They're not only not truly grateful for what they have, but they continually lust for endless more. For now, we're wandering in a foreign, desert place where we don't belong. We weren't created for this place, but for a place beyond the horizon of this life. We're not here in this desert to lust after what the master can give us, but to learn to burn with desire for the master who desires to share with us what is solely His. At times, I'm ashamed of my own failure to acknowledge the full magnitude of grace that I'm shown in His continual faithfulness - in spite of my unworthiness.

I cant' help but believe that the moment that the true gravity of our circumstances and position before the Lord reaches us, is that very genesis moment when our gratitude becomes exponentially full and genuine. As it was with the children of Israel, we too have been rescued. Our exodus from the condemnation of sin has been made possible by Christ Jesus who makes Himself available to lead us through the current desert of this place to a place promised that will no doubt exceed our expectations. But as we wander now, I pray that our Lord grants us recurring revelation of the depth of His kindness and generosity to us and also the wisdom to learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before us. 

Lord, by your revelation, make us truly humbled and grateful for your continual attention, provision and promises. Let that revelation be so powerful and impacting that it causes our adoration and gratitude to rise in unending and unparalleled sweetness to your nostrils in reward. Lord, I celebrate not only the beauty of all that you are, but also all that you have willingly chosen in your sovereignty to be to us. We're undeserving of your grace, your continuous doting and your love, except by your choice to offer them to us. Your awesome presence is our continual blessing.