Never-ending Thirst

Yesterday, I looked at a list of stores that were not only open for Thanksgiving; but, proudly stretched their Black Friday time from 18-24 hours. I pondered on the many individuals who would not mingle with their families due to an extreme work schedule. The amazing part of the blog was the fact that 90% of the comments supported retail openings versus quality family time. The remaining 10% who supported retail closings, and the importance of quality family time were verbally attacked by the majority.

The defiance of society’s former value system is blatant as thousands of dollars are spent online and in retail stores today-Black Friday. We are bombarded with advertisements that encourage us to spend, and purchase our desires without fear. After all, we deserve to be happy, and without an overabundance of material things, our life is mundane.

This week I was faced with the challenge to choose whether an item was a desire versus a necessity. I had already presented the situation to God; but, through the rebellion of my human and sinful nature, I still attempted to manipulate the situation in my favor. Today, I thank God for his grace and mercy that prevented me from making a mistake. I realized that although I maintain some traditional values, I could not pass judgment on the majority. I was also willing to compromise for my materialistic desires.

Often our thirst for material things surpasses our thirst for righteouness. The word of God is ” a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters…” (Song of Solomon 4:15). Once we have experienced the love of God, our prayer should be for God to give us the desire to know more of Him. God delights to do “exceeding and abundantly above all that we ask or think” Ephesians 3:20. The condition is for us to thirst for more and more righteousness. My value system has been redefined. As society continues to mold and shape their lives around material wealth, I have made the decision to thirst for the love and righteousness of God that is never-ending.

Dear God, thank you for reminding me to value the things that will give me a deeper relationship with you. Sonya Johnson Ruiz