We All Want to Be Appreciated – Part 2 — Morning Devotions

By Chris WittsMonday 7 Dec 2020Morning Devotions with Chris WittsDevotionsReading Time: 4 minutes

We don’t always think about each other. I spoke about this in Part 1; the matter of being appreciated. We routinely get preoccupied with life and forget the people closest to us. We forget birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. Mother’s Day slips up on us.

• Read We All Want to be Appreciated – Part 1

The truth is, most of us are better at remembering bad things. We can recall the hard times and the insults of others against us. I’ve met a few people who seem to have a ‘grievance meter’ that remembers every mean thing that anyone did to them—even the things that happened 20 years ago. Some people have memories like an elephant’s. An elephant never forgets they say, though I’m not sure who they are or how they know an elephant never forgets, but some people remember every bad thing that ever happened to them, and they nurse their grudges for years.

God Has Been Thinking About Us

But isn’t it wonderful that God never forgets his children. Even when we do have good thoughts about each other, we tend to forget after a while. That’s why we say out of sight, out of mind.  But God never forgets his children. Even though he has the whole world to rule, he never forgets his own. He always appreciates and loves us, even when we do wrong.

It pains his heart for sure, but his love is everlasting. God is not just saying, I’ve got plans for you; he’s really saying, I have been thinking about you. That’s much better because it is exceedingly personal. A boss might say to an employee, I’ve got plans for you, which might a lot more work, but if the boss says, I’ve been thinking about you, that means something else entirely.

God knows what he is thinking even when we don’t. Many times we  have said, Lord, what are you doing? Why is this happening? So much of life makes no sense. The good and the bad, the happy and the sad—it all gets jumbled together with apparently no rhyme or reason, and even if we say to ourselves God has a plan, it can be confusing.

God has us always on his mind.

But God knows what he is thinking even when his thoughts are hidden from me. He has us constantly on his mind. Charles Spurgeon, from many years ago, explains like it this:

The child playing on the deck does not understand the tremendous engine whose beat is the throbbing heart of the stately Atlantic liner, and yet all is safe, for the engineer, the captain and the pilot are in their places, and well know what is being done. Let not the child trouble itself about things too great for it.

We know so little. We understand so little. We have so many questions.

But this much is clear. God is thinking about us—always. God plans so much good for you. Psalm 40:5 says: “You, Lord God, have done many wonderful things, and you have planned marvellous  things for us. No one is like you.”

God Desires a Loving Relationship with Us

God desires to have a loving and genuine father-and-son relationship with us. Not a father-and-son relationship that many today have came to know, but a loving, caring, and wonderful relationship. Many times, when a person has an abusive relationship with their earthly father, they tend to perceive their relationship with their heavenly Father the same way.

I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (Jeremiah 29:11 – The Message)

That causes a lot of people to have an unhealthy fear of God, which drives them away instead of closer to him. This is exactly what the devil wants us to do, and it grieves the heart of God. Our heavenly Father is the most loving and caring father that anybody could ever ask for! In the Scriptures we read:

• “Our holy God lives forever in the highest heavens, and this is what he says: Though I live high above the holy place, I am here to help those who are humble and depend only on me.” (Isaiah 57:15 – CEV)
• “Just as parents are kind to their children, the Lord is kind to all who worship him, because he knows we are made of dust” (Psalm 103:13-14 – CEV).
• “The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope” (Psalm 34:18 – CEV).
• “You are merciful, Lord. You are kind and patient and always loving. You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation” (Psalm 145:8-9 – CEV).

How do I know what God is thinking of me? Remember this verse from Jeremiah 29:11 (CEV): “I will bless you with a future filled with hope”.

God is sometimes referred to as ‘the ancient of Days’, but that does not mean he’s gone to sleep. No, he is with us today. Sadly, many of us face negative and critical comments from family or employers, and we would love it to have someone who could speak hope and encouragement into our hearts.