“Go, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”

As we wake up in the morning, God’s enumerable blessings are already waiting for us. The food on the table, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the relationships we enjoy – these are all God’s daily gifts. Outside the home, we see the beauty of God’s earth – the fresh greens, the lovely flowers, the birds and flowers, the serene blue sky with puffy clouds. Everything that we have are gifts from above, because as sinners from birth, we only deserve God’s just punishments.

All people are recipients of God’s gifts, but for many, they regard them as fruits of their labors. They don’t realize that their strength, opportunity to work, and life itself are all from God.

We Christians, of all people should always be thankful and joyful even in times of adversities. Thankful because we recognize that God is the Giver of all good things (even bad things are ultimately good), and joyful, because we are receiving what we do not deserve. We have a special place in the heart of God. Discomfort, pain or relational problem must not ruin this joy. We must wage war against depression, disappointment, and discontentment.  But being thankful and joyful is not natural for us, so we need to cultivate these godly dispositions.

Application

Enjoy God’s everyday goodness. Enjoy the food that we eat, our family, our friends and the blessing of waking up to a brand-new day. Always utter a prayer of thanksgiving to Him.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

 You are the Lord of my life. Thank You for giving me the fullness of life in Christ. Thank You for providing for all my daily needs and enumerable blessings that I do not deserve. Help me to receive Your everyday gifts with joy and thanksgiving.  As I face another year, may I be joyful and thankful always.  And help me to be more fruitful in my service to You. In Jesus name, I pray… Amen