See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1
“See, My daughter, whether thou canst find a father whose love for his only son has prompted him to take care of him or to show him such tender proofs of his love as I have given and will yet give thee of Mine; for from thy earliest years My love has borne kindly with thee, and has trained and formed thee after My own Heart, awaiting thee patiently without growing weary of all thy resistance. Know, therefore, that if ever thou shouldst forget the gratitude thou owest Me and shouldst not refer the glory of everything to Me, thou wouldst thereby, as regards thyself, dry up this inexhaustible source of all good.”
The Lord to Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection on Gratitude.
It’s a powerful idea that when we forget gratitude and fail to give God glory for everything, with regard to ourselves, we dry up the “inexhaustible source of all good.”
It makes perfect sense. We serve a God who inhabits the praises of His people. While He is always with us, He draws near to those who praise Him, rely on Him, who rest in His love.
But not everyone acknowledges this. I am not immune to thanklessness. It happens when circumstances get rough. When God seems silent. All the while He remains patient despite our resistance.
So, the lesson for me today as I prepare to leave Africa is clear. If I want God to continue to draw near and supply the needs of GTP’s work in remote places, I must praise Him with gratitude and give Him all the glory for what He has done here.
I praise God for all He did in Malawi, pictured above (click here to read the trip report). Even the government officials and news media proclaims acknowledges how God is at work (click here to view a two minute video).
And I invite the world to join the movement by making a gift to GTP. We are praying for $80,000 right away to deploy staff to spread the vision of Palmful of Maize to 16 more districts. Pray with me for this. Thanks.