CULTIVATE A GRATEFUL HEART

SATURDAY, 8TH JULY, 2023.

By: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE 

TOPIC: CULTIVATE A GRATEFUL HEART

MEMORIZE: "And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains" 2 SAMUEL 7:1,2.

SCRIPTURE READING: 2 SAMUEL 7:1-6

“And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.  And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee. And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?  Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.”

EXPOSITION:

A man once considered the enormous abundance of things he had received from God. He lifted his eyes to the Lord in prayers and said, "Thou has given me so much, but give me one more thing; 'a grateful heart'". A grateful heart is worth praying for.

As we consider our text, we see King David appreciating God's gift of rest from all the surrounding enemies after going through much troubles within and without. He approached his counsellor and friend, Prophet Nathan, and told him he intended building a home for the ark of God as a mark of gratitude to Him who had delivered him from his numerous enemies. Though the Lord disallowed David from doing so, eventually, the king prepared the ground for his son, Solomon, to build the temple.

David's motivation to build could be attributed to a grateful heart for what God had done for him. His intention without being compelled and his desire is instructive to believers whom the Lord has delivered from sin and evil, and blessed with this world's good.

We must employ our time, gifts and possessions for God's service and glory, for He is behind all our achievements. A grateful and gracious soul will not be at ease living in luxury while the house of God is in an undesirable state. You cannot give too much to the Lord, if it is in your reach and capacity to do so. David eventually received a permanent dynasty as a result of his grateful response to God's goodness.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A grateful heart is a magnet for more blessings. 

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Proverbs 7 - 10.

********************************

ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE, General Overseer, Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word. Read, Meditate, Pray and Share this message to others. For prayers, Counseling and further enquiries, call or whatsapp +2347032993319; +2348056130469. Or Email: anchoroflifeministry@gmail.com