Since I'm awake...

Well... the paper is done. my finest work? not even close. a solid B. hope so...

Anyway... I've been thinking... When I was a kid in Sunday school- and even now I catch myself doing it once in a while, I would look at the children of Israel and see them in slavery and say with them-
WOW they have it rough, God needed to let them go.
They were in the desert, they got thirsty, but they were complaining about the quality of water.. that’s when they lost me...
But they were hungry and God gave them bread- manna- from heaven and they would eat that- but that wasn’t good enough- so God gave them quail to eat-and they got sick of that after a while-
I was like “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?”
Hello!!
Remember the plagues you just saw?
Remember the sea parting?
Remember?
Who are YOU to complain to God who has given you so much!?!?
Or when people were freaking about not having enough wine at the wedding, so Jesus goes over to the water and makes the best wine you’ve ever tasted-
And then I look at the disciples when they’re on that hill and all those people crowd around- over 5,000 of them, and they start freaking out… again…
And then the kid with the bread and fish comes up and they’re like, go away little boy we don’t need that- that’s a little solution to a big problem- but Jesus took it-
And can you imagine the butterflies in their stomach when the loaves and fish kept coming?!?! Each of them had their own basket of leftovers!
And, as a Sunday School student, I was baffled how anyone could POSSIBLY doubt God- how ANYONE could have the gall to tell God how his blessings aren’t good enough…
Then I grew up.
And I realized that I’m a million times worse than the Children of Israel
A million times worse than the disciples
Because I have something they don’t- the complete Word of God in the Holy Bible right in front of me-
I see how God provided for His children in the desert
He blessed Job after taking everything away,
I see Jesus promising to never leave us
And Paul in chains worshipping and praising the Lord for His providence,
But I still clamor,
I still doubt,
I still take matters into my own hands
And I still worry about the future.
I am a spoiled sinful child.

But God is Faithful.

I was a waiter for 5 years in many different restaurants- from rural Iowa diners to downtown Minneapolis white tablecloth wine bistros- but I’m always amazed at how some people get when they come to restaurants- they have this air of entitlement about them- I am their slave for 2 hours- I had one lady actually wipe her hands on me- she called me over and cleaned her hands on my shirt. We expected to be well taken care of by the people who serve us. And if we aren’t we complain… we feel we are entitled as “Paying customers” to demand the best out of those we will give 3 dollars…

My Roomate broke down and bought us cable again, and so i've TiVo'd alot of My Super Sweet 16. It's this show on MTV in which the richest, snobbiest, most conceded 16 year old’s in the country throw the most ridiculous sweet 16 parties you’ve ever seen. We’re talking $250,000 budgets at a minimum!
I saw one the other night- the invitations were worth over $200. As if the 6-digit parties aren’t enough- EVERY SINGLE KID is CONSUMED over what kind of car they’re going to get. One girl got a Benz, but it wasn’t a Benz convertible, and she was mad her daddy didn’t give her the car she wanted… but her mother consoled her, and after a while she was OK with it… for now. When she turned 18 she could get a better car.
And you look at these kids, and you can’t help but laugh at them and see how frivolous and pathetic they are- how ignorant and clueless they really are. Then it dawns on you- these kids are only 16, they have a lot of life to live still- AND there are so many of these spoiled brats around that they can make a TV show about them?!?! Wow.

But sadly I'm no better. In fact I'm worse.
We are the richest people on earth- because we have Jesus, the PRICELESS TREASURE in out hearts. We are LOADED because our salvation is sure in Jesus. But yet we grumble, we complain-

We continue to worry about the future even though we’re told in Matthew
"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

We continue to take matters into our own hands, even though Philippians tells us Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

We continue to give ourselves the credit for our success even though James tells us: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

And it goes on and on and on…
We remain incredibly unfaithful to an unwaveringly faithful God.
In the middle of the book of Lamentations, we read these powerful words:
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him

The Lord’s compassion and faithfulness is not something that can grow stale, not something that can disappear- but they are new every morning- Just as the sun rose today and, lest Glory comes, will rise tomorrow, we know His Love and compassion will be renewed-
As Charles Spergon said, "The love of God is not water in a basin, growing stale, dirty and old, but rather the Love of our Savior is a spring- bringing forth the cool, clean waters of salvation."

Our changeless, merciful, loving Father knows us and loves us despite our frivolity
He sent His Son from Heaven
He bled for our doubting
He suffered for our worrying
He was bruised for our self-centeredness
He was crucified on the cross for our sins.
That is how faithful our God is- He looked at a creation and a people that were 1000 times more conceded, spoiled, and narcissistic than the kids on my Super Sweet 16- and He STILL gave His one and only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for all our wrongs.
He hears our rumblings, He listens to our pleas, and he faithfully answers them, and never fails to provide.


If I rise on wings of dawn
Or drift in seas of doubt
Even there Your strong right hand
Has never failed to guide me out

If I hide in dark and shadows
Fearful of each day
Even there Your blinding light
Illuminates my pathway

Great is Your faithfulness
To carry on with a sinner like me
Great is Your faithfulness
Turning shame into victory
Your grace has never let me be
Your mercy’s waited patiently
Oh, so great is Your faithfulness
To carry on with a sinner like me

"Great is your faithfulness"
By Newsboys