In this fast paced world that we live in, do you notice the many reasons we have to praise the Lord for His goodness that is all around us?
I dare say that the moments of each day bring us many opportunities to praise our Lord!!
As I was driving to work one recent morning, after some dark, no sun days, the sky was so beautiful with color…a few wisps of clouds with a pink hue to them, the sun peeking up over the horizon. I couldn’t help but feel His presence loving me!
The beauty of the sky always makes me praise God for His handiwork that we get to enjoy while journeying through this earth.
Photo courtesy of Heather Baird Lashier
The physical, natural world we are surrounded by daily holds so many reminders of God’s beauty. Have you noticed the majestic, mighty mountains in parts of the world, the huge trees standing tall, the flowers that grace the fields all existing because of God’s goodness?
Each of these creations glorifying their Creator in their own unique way provide us with the opportunity to praise the Lord for such beauty that we are enveloped by too!
Mt. Rainier, WA
What about the special people God puts in our path? That friend that sends you a text saying they are thinking of you….just when you were at your lowest point in the day? The friend that walks with you during your chemo treatment so you are not alone? The friend who lets you know you are being surrounded in prayer when you are suffering gravely from a life change.
God deserves our praises for providing people for us when we need someone to model His hands and feet for us.
Photo courtesy of Franco Dal Molin under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)
What about all the answers to the specific prayers that you pray for those who are in need of His touch? While we are walking through the struggles of this life, we may think it takes forever to get a favorable answer to a prayer. Sometimes it might really take years for an answer to prayer to come the way WE think it should but to God it is in a blink of an eye.
When we do see the answers to those prayers coming to fruition, we need to praise the Lord for His goodness!
When there are those times in our life when we don’t necessarily get an answer to prayer in the way we want or expect, we need to keep in mind that God is still in control of everything in our lives. His timing and graces are perfect in our lives.
Knowing that God has everything in our lives under His control…Another great reason to praise the Lord in our lives!
Photo courtesy of Tobias Van Der Elst under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Think about the times of loss in your life. Maybe a friend no longer talks to you, maybe that band that brought you closer to the Lord is no longer together, or the loss of your spouse or child that occurred so unexpectedly. As hard as any of those things are, they are still opportunities to praise the Lord.
Remembering the years you did have together and the ways the people helped you be a better version of you are good ways to praise the Lord despite unfavorable circumstances. The current you is all the better for those blessings.
Photo courtesy of Peter Remmers under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0); words added by hopetoinspireyou.com
Being surrounded with fellow Christians who you can share this journey of life with to help you see God working in our life is such a blessing. Together you can see the blessings He provides and the answers to prayer. Sometimes we need others to help us see things more clearly.
Seeing God at work in our lives is another avenue to be able to praise God! He is always at work on our behalf giving us reasons to praise God.
Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs. –Psalm 66:4 (NLT)
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. –Psalm 113:1-3 (NIV)
As I read this I’m looking out my window at the snowfall from last night. While I know it is not a favorite season for many, winter is one of my very favorite times of the year. I especially love the snow coated trees, which is what I’m looking at now. I’m never more convinced of God than I am during and right after a snowfall. Everything is quiet, everything is still. In my opinion, only God could create something so beautiful. (I’m prepared for the snowballs that will be thrown at me after people read this!)
How I love these words, Jen! And, you made me smile with that snowball comment….No worries….I won’t throw any snowballs at you! 😉 It is good to see the snow as a way of praising God and knowing His Presence too; the quiet stillness! Thank you so much for reading and sharing…another praise to God in my life! 🙂
You and your writings are always VISIBLE PROOF of the joy which a relationship with
Jesus brings to us daily. Merci
Thank you so much for reading and your kind words, Marilyn! It is a blessing to know my simple thoughts are providing encouragement for you. Blessings to you and yours.