New Car Envy

Psalm 107:1

Watch on YouTube – Watch on Facebook

About 10 years ago, I purchased a brand new car. I got a great deal on it because it was the last year of that model, which had been around for about five years. There was a complete redesign, apparently just around the corner, and that was correct. About a year later, the same model car came out completely redesigned and it looked fantastic. I saw photos of it and then I started seeing people driving them around town and so on. And I’ve got to admit I had a twinge of envy about that new model. In fact, I hate to admit it, but one day I sat in my car, my near new car, and I looked at it and I thought, Oh, this looks so dated and it’s missing that and this new feature in the other model.

It wasn’t too long after that that I did a trip to our mission churches in India, and there I was riding in older vehicles that were very beat up from the rough roads and the crazy traffic in that region. And then one of the pastors was showing me his motorbike that he was so happy to have. And in fact, it was transportation for his whole family, and many of the Indian pastors didn’t even have a motorbike. And after that trip, I remember returning to Texas. At the airport, I got back into my car and I just thought how nice and modern it looked, and I realized that I had really been like a spoiled brat. That I was so ungrateful for what the Lord had given to me, and I repented of that sin.

The Lord truly has blessed me tremendously. We see a lot of ingratitude in our world today, don’t we? Many people have what we would call an entitled attitude. This is an attitude that the Lord does not want you and I to harbor, because after all, he is ultimately the one who provides everything that we have. It’s good to be reminded that everything that belongs to me belongs to the Lord first. It’s all his. And it’s also good for us to repent of those times when we’ve had ingratitude. The Lord really isn’t under any obligation to give us anything. In fact, the Lord could cast us away from his presence permanently because we are wicked sinners. But instead, God is so merciful and so generous that not only does he give us our daily bread and a whole lot more very often, he also has supplied a Savior so that you could go to heaven.

Jesus came to our Earth and he supplied the perfect life that you and I didn’t have. He lived a perfect life in our place. And then Jesus supplied the payment. For the guilt of our sins, that payment that you and I could not give to the Lord. Jesus gave that payment with his own divine blood. And then Jesus even shares his resurrection with those who believe in him so that you can know one day you will walk into heaven, that place of eternal joy you will not have to face being cast away from the Lord. Truly, the Lord has given us so much Psalm, 107 verse 1 says,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 107:1)

I hope that you have a very happy and thankful Thanksgiving. Amen.