“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”
(Hebrews 13:12 NIV)
Since I’ve been living in a nursing home setting, something amazing is happening. Every time I turn around, my wife has arrived to visit me!
Okay, let me qualify that a bit. No, she isn’t always there; but for a period of time almost every day, she seems to arrive over and over again! I am so happy to see her. My face lights up, I start to smile, and I envelop her in a bear hug. But then I get busy with my “mission” (better known as walking around and inspecting everything, especially the doors!) and I forget she was ever there. Until suddenly, there she is! My face lights up, I start to smile and I envelop her in a bear hug. Then the mission calls, and I forget I even had a wife. Until … Suddenly, she’s there! My face lights up…
Okay I think you get the picture. My wife swears she’s never left, but to me, it is like she comes anew every few minutes, and you can bet that each and every time I am absolutely delighted to see her!
This all makes me think. What if …
What if we were to see and fully appreciate each of God’s blessings to us every time we see them?
I for one get so used to seeing God’s blessings around me that they kind of lose that “specialness”, and I begin to take them for granted. Sometimes I even forget they exist; or worse, I forget Who they came from! What if, the same way that my wife comes to visit so many times in the same hour and I take delight in each and ever visit, what if we could all identify God’s blessings and delight in them each and every time we notice them?
It might go something like this: “Oh! There’s a beautiful rose! Wow, it smells so nice! And the petals are all so perfectly positioned. Lord, I needed a reminder of Your love, and You just gave me one with this rose!”
Or perhaps like this: “Father, You have provided me with a cup of pure, cold water to drink! It takes so good, it clenches my thirst so well. Lord, I praise You for creating water. I was feeling so thirsty; I thank You for bringing me this water to drink!”
Or, if you would indulge me just one more example: “Lord! I received a pay check this week! I know I worked for it, but You provided me with the job! I praise You for that, as well as with the health, and the physical and mental abilities to perform the job! And Lord, I’m afraid that I may have more bills than this pay can cover, but I am so grateful to You for providing what is here. I give You Your part off the top, and I am excited to see how You will stretch the rest to cover my needs this week! I am so grateful to You for taking care of each and every need, just as You have promised!”
Does this seem a little overboard?
Well two years ago, I would have thought that greeting my wife every time I turn around would have been a little overboard too. But do you know what? She is so excited each time I recognize her. She loves to see how my smile splits my face, and she especially loves the bear hugs. Each and every time!
I believe that God is the same.
Please understand that my wife doesn’t require these signs of my delight. She would come to see me anyway; however she most certainly relishes them. And it is the same with God. He doesn’t require that we praise Him and thank Him for what He does for us so faithfully on a daily basis. He would take care of us anyway. But don’t you think that it gives Him pleasure when we show our gratitude to Him?
Let’s remember that we were created to praise God: “I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” (Isaiah 43:20b-21 NIV).
We are also told: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” (Psalms 150:6 NIV). This means that we should never stop praising God. We should never become numb to the marvels of His blessings to us.
And finally, we are told: “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (Psalms 22:3 NLT). What this last text seems to be saying is that God is present and glorified when we praise His name. In other words, He enjoys it! So no matter where we are, the moment we stop and praise God, He invites us to His throne!
Yes, my memory difficulties make it seem like my wife visits many times each day when in reality she only visits once; but the appreciation that my memory problems create brings such joy to my wife. Let’s skip the memory problems and just show appreciation over and over again for each and every wonders of our Lord and Saviour!
Inspired by Rob Chaffart
Founder, Answers2Prayer Ministries