Seventh-Day Adventist Devotional For Young People: “Ingratitude”

DAILY CONNECTION – A Devotional for the young people

By Eastern Nigeria Union Conference Youth Ministries of Seventh Day Adventist Church

Theme: INGRATITUDE
MAY 6

Topic: UNGRATEFULNESS

Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good (Proverbs 17:13)

The Holy Scripture is very clear about the position of rewarding evil for good. When an individual has done any good to you, it is pertinent to always reward good for good and not evil for good.

In the case of David and Jesus it was stated that their good were rewarded with evil by their enemies. “They rewarded me evil for good [to] the spoiling of my soul”(Psalm 35:12). This is ingratitude to someone who has done something good to you. Rewarding evil for good is contrary to the divine law of God and it is devilish. When this happens, the bible warns that evil shall not depart from such home or family. The individual must certainly reap what he/she has sown.

Remember, the story of David and Nabal in 1 Samuel 25:21. David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good.. This was the Complain of David against an ungrateful Nabal. His ingratitude was really and surely treated accordingly.

Even Jesus, when he was brought forward to be judged and eventually crucified, the JEWS shouted in their madness, “His blood be on us and our Children”. Be sure they certainly suffered and are being punished. A saying goes: “Do not throw a stone into the well whose waters you have drunk”. “Do not bite the finger that fed you”.

Therefore, ungratefulness and offensive hatred is the sin of ingratitude to God and man. As children of God, we need to make a conscious effort to completely and carefully avoid it. If you have been ungrateful to someone who has helped you in the past or even in the present, there is a window for you to make amends now.

The bible advises us to “love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35)

Prayer:
O God, please guide us into rewarding good for good in Jesus name. Amen

Naomi Promise and Promise Elemelu (Rivers West Conference)