Unappreciated

Do you ever feel like all the work you do goes unnoticed? Does it ever seem that no one seems grateful at how much you pick up the slack for them? Do very few people notice the good qualities about you? I think most people, at some point or another, have felt unappreciated.


Do you ever think of how much God is under appreciated?



God made this whole world. He keeps it and sustains every living thing. But no human on earth has given God the appreciation He is due. Most people try to deny God's sustaining power over their lives. Even the ones whom He has chosen fall into the sin of ungratefulness and forgetfulness of all He has done.


What does God do in response to our ungratefulness?

He keeps on giving us breath.

He sends the rains to water the earth so we can grow food.

He gives us beauty in this earth for us to enjoy.

He patiently forgives the sins of His people, and guides them into the way of wisdom.

He keeps on working, despite our lack of appreciation.


If you feel unappreciated today, remember that your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:4). Also, remember all that your Father has done for you that you haven't noticed or thanked Him for.

O God Thou Art My God Alone~Psalm 63

O God, Thou art my God alone; Early to Thee my soul shall cry; 

A pilgrim in a land unknown, A thirsty land whose springs are dry. 

O that it were as it hath been! When, praying in the holy place, 

Thy power and glory I have seen, And marked the footsteps of Thy grace. 

Yet, through this rough and thorny maze, I follow hard on Thee, my God; 

Thy hand, unseen, upholds my ways; I safely tread where Thou hast trod. 

Thee, in the watches of the night, When I remember on my bed; 

Thy presence makes the darkness light, Thy guardian wings are round my head. 

Better than life itself Thy love, Dearer than all beside to me; 

For whom have I in Heav’n above, Or what on earth, compared to Thee? 

Praise with my heart, my mind, my voice, For all Thy mercy I will give; 

My soul shall still in God rejoice; My tongue shall bless Thee while I live.

Listen to the song here.

Picture from Bethany Rachel Photography

Remembering Rev. John Harper

On April 14, 1912, over 1,000 lives were lost aboard the RMS Titanic. One of those souls was a Baptist minister named John Harper. I just saw this video today and it awed me. If you have never been to the Titanic museum in Branson or Pigeon Forge, I encourage you to go. I have only been to the Branson one, but it is really good.

The Potter's Field

 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers~ Matthew 27:2-7

During our family Bible time the other night, we were reading the story of Jesus' betrayal and arrest. As Dad read about the purchase of the Potter's Field, I thought about a parallel between the purchase of that field, and the 'field' Jesus purchased.

First, consider the purpose of each field. The Potter's Field was a place for burying the dead. When Jesus saves someone, they are to consider themselves dead to sin. (Colossians 3:5) His field is a place for us to bury our 'old man'. The Christian life is a process of becoming more like Christ by actively and daily killing our sin. We must all dig graves in Jesus' field to bury our sin.

Each field was also purchased by Jesus' blood. The priests couldn't put the thirty shekels back in the treasury because it was blood money. So they bought the Potter's Field. Maybe in their self righteousness they thought they were being charitable toward the strangers in Israel. Little did they know that the greatest act of charity would be taking place only a little while later. Jesus' spilled blood and anguish on the cross was the exact payment required to purchase the death and burial of sin.

Lastly, think about for whom the two fields were bought. The Potter's Field was a burial place for strangers; people living in Israel, but who were not of the Jews. In the same way, those whose old selves are buried in Jesus' field are strangers in this world. Jesus said His own, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:16) 

Living the Christian life is not always easy. Killing sin is an ongoing struggle for all believers. We still have cause to be thankful in the midst of our fight. Our Savior purchased sin and death's graveyard by His blood, and He secured new life for us with the empty tomb.

Do you have a plot in the Potter's Field?