His Blessings Are So Great
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.
Psalm 147:7–9 (ESV)
Missionaries on foreign soil, and the Christians they serve, may see the Lord’s provision more clearly than most American Christians. It isn’t that He doesn’t supply our needs, it is simply that we often forget that the blessings that are overwhelmingly common in our society, come from God. Our nation was founded on the precepts of Christ and for people who wanted to worship Him. In response, He has blessed us beyond measure.
Yet, somehow, because His blessings are so great, we often forget that they are His blessings. We let those blessings distract us from Him. Once, a member of my congregation told their friend they weren’t going to make it to church for an evening service because they were too busy moving into their new house. The response they got was a simple question, “So now that God has blessed you with a new house, you can’t take an hour to come worship Him?” They came to church.
Be careful to recognize God’s provision in your life and be grateful for it! A dentist in town who works at a reduced cost for the needy tells them exactly how they can show their gratefulness; by taking care of their teeth. Likewise, God has shown us exactly how we can show our gratefulness to Him. Enter His gates with thanksgiving! Enter His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him, and praise His name!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You provide for me! You are the Lord of heaven and earth. You engineered creation to provide for our physical needs. You have created us to constantly learn and discover, changing how we interact with nature itself. I pray that You will open my eyes to see Your hand at work in all areas of my life, from the most basic needs to the most complicated situations. Your provision is as infinite as You are. As I live, blessed by You, let me be a blessing to others and share Your message of salvation at every opportunity. In Jesus’ Name, amen.