Do you take things for granted?

Ever stop what you are doing and ponder why you do what you do? Ever wonder what life without God and without his Son Jesus Christ would be like? Can you list all that he has given you? Do you realize all that he has done for you? Can you imagine?
What Grace, what mercy, what love?

I spent the evening hours last night and this morning studying Ephesians, and there is soo much in there, that talks about what Christ has done. For example:

Ephesians 2:1-10 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body [1] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But [2] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
• How amazing is it to realize what it really means to be saved by grace? How amazing is it to understand that God loves us, when we deserve eternal damnation? How amazing is it when we realize that God sent his son for us? How amazing is it when we comprehend that we were made in Christ Jesus for good works, and that God has already prepared them ahead of time? Grace Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me, How amazing is it to see the grace with which God poured upon me? Praise the Lord that he has not condemned us like we deserve, by his grace and through his son we are saved. Praise the Lord for without his never ending love, we are nothing.

I've just been reflecting in my own life and realizing how much I take things for granted. I'm so dependent for so many of the daily things I do, yet when do I take the time to thank God for the gifts he has blessed me with. Whether it be as simple as saying thankyou for a mother and a father, or saying thankyou for the air we breathe. Its always been there, but its only there because of God's design and for His purpose. I know I've failed here over the past few months, I just don't take time to thank God for all he's given me, and the list is endless. What about you?

Without the many blessings that God has given us, we are nothing, like dust we would blow around in the wind. At times I can get down because I feel like I don't know what I'm doing or where I'm going, but I'm starting to find comfort in that God planned it that way, He has his hand in it, and He is in control. None of the things that we take for granted would even exist, why we wouldn't even exist if it wern't for the love of God.

So I'd encourage you to take some time in the next few weeks to thank God for the mundane things in your life. They seem so meaningless, yet we are completely dependent on them. I know that I in my foolishness I have overlooked this aspect of the relationship I have with God and at times have viewed God as even needing me. He's got to be sitting up there laughing at my arrogance in thinking I can do something for Him. There is no thing that we can do to surprise God and nothing we can do apart from the gifts he's given us to do His will. What a fool am I!!!