Thank you to those who responded yesterday with comments on the blog telling me three of the things you were grateful for. Add three new things to your journaling this morning – let’s keep this accounting of praise going throughout the month of November.
When I was a child, we grew up singing a hymn in our church, “Count Your Blessings”.
1 When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
2 Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. [Refrain] by Johnson Oatman 1897
Counting our blessings puts our focus where it belongs, on the Lord and His goodness. The Psalms are filled with praise – King David wrote many of the psalms as songs of praise and deliverance.
“Sing a new song to the Lord! Everyone on this earth, sing praises to the Lord, 2 sing and praise his name. Day after day announce, ‘The Lord has saved us!’ 3 Tell every nation on earth, ‘The Lord is wonderful and does marvelous things! 4 The Lord is great and deserves greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship. 5 Other nations worship idols, but the Lord created the heavens. 6 Give honor and praise to the Lord, whose power and beauty
fill his holy temple.’” Psalm 96:1-6 CEV
This psalm admonishes everyone on earth to sing praises, every day! (Read the whole chapter). Praise the Lord because He is great and does marvelous things. Our God is not an idol made with human hands. No, He is the God who created all things.
When we see a beautiful sunrise, praise the Lord. When we experience the beauty of the clouds in the sky, the flowers in bloom, the sighting of a new born calf, a field ripe with grain, the miracle of a new life or the expression of age-old love – we should praise the Lord. He is the one who has filled the earth with wonder and our hearts with love.
“Tell the heavens and the earth to be glad and celebrate! Command the ocean to roar with all of its creatures 12 and the fields to rejoice with all of their crops. Then every tree in the forest will sing joyful songs 13 to the Lord.” verses 11-13 CEV
Don’t let the mully-grubs capture your thinking. Lift your voice and make this a great day of praise!