I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me. (Psalm 86:12-13)
There is a tendency among humans to ask, even beg, God for help and assistance in times of distress and suffering only to forget the greatness of His compassion when the crisis has passed. And should a goodly season of relative peace be our lot, we are inclined to forget Him more and more, even considering His past help to be less significant than we first recognized. In other words, there are people who don’t really desire a relationship with Him but call on Him only when they need something.
Not only is this selfish and a sign of questionable character but there is an inherent danger in this bad habit. Those who treat God in this way will discover that, in the day they need Him most, He may not answer. As it is written: “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 1:28-29).
Contrast this mentality with that of David; he called upon God in bad times and in times when things were good. The more of God’s goodness he experienced, the more he appreciated it and proclaimed it to others. His heart after God never faded, even when he found himself suffering the consequences of his own poor choices. All of us would do well to micmic David’s example in this regard and constantly reflect on God’s goodness. The Creator is not some genie in a bottle that we call on to grant our wishes; He has made it clear that He is desperate to have an authentic relationship with you and me. Let’s make sure not to take that for granted.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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