Complaining.

Seems I've been doing a lot of it lately.   For whatever reason, complaining seems to come a lot more naturally than gratefulness.  And I find that very frustrating and annoying!!  Today I just had to repent (again) of this attitude and ask for God's help in changing this really really bad habit.  And talk about an answer to prayer....Right after asking for forgiveness and help I read Day 27 in "31 Days of Praise".  The very first paragraph:  "Lord, I extol you for Your great power toward us who believe...You are able to do infinitely beyond all our highest prayers or thoughts. Nothing is impossible with You!"  What a wonderful answer to my desire to lose the complaining lips !!  Does this mean that not only will I be speaking thankfulness, but infinite thankfulness and praise?  Multitude of gratitude. Plenitude of praise.  LOL  I love the thought of that.

Even more confirmation was given on my run this morning as well.  I was listening to Joyce M's teaching on living without frustration and she spoke on God doing the changing in us instead of me trying and trying and failing and failing.  I am not on a self improvement quest, but a God changing me from glory to glory path.

And the visiting continues....today's Bible verse from my phone app...For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 
Romans 8:29   One of my favorite verses!  It's always 8:28 that gets all the play, but this verse gives us the reason and the final outcome of God working all things out for our good.  And that is an outcome that I really look forward to and desire with all my heat...to become like Jesus.

He chose me to become like Jesus.  And He is working to make me so.  And I am grateful that it does not depend on me, because that would just be a complete disaster!

And yet, O Lord, You are our Father.  We are the clay and You are the Potter. We are all formed by Your hand.  Isaiah 64:8

O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay?  As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand.  Jeremiah 18:6

I am so grateful Lord, that You do not give up and that You keep working to change me (even when I don't see it happening, it is).  Thank You for this encouragement. Help me to keep cooperating with You and please let my words and speech honor You more and more each day.