SHOWERS OF BLESSING

I like this old hymn:  There shall be showers of blessing, This is the promise of love.  There shall be seasons refreshing, Sent from the Father above.  Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need.  Mercy drops round us are falling….But for the showers we plead.

I have been thinking about my prayers and pleadings to God.  I feel that all I do is ask Him for blessings.  I come to Him with all of my needs and concerns;  I just want Him to take care of them and I want results right now!

I recently saw a bumper sticker that read:  GOD IS LOVE……LOVE HIM BACK.  That brought me up short.  I have seen “God is Love” on a shed in Haiti, on greeting cards, on bookmarks, on T-shirts, etc.  I hadn’t considered that I needed to love Him back.

One of the very early things that a parent teaches their child is to say Please and Thank You.  We insist that they say Please before we give them what they want.  And, we instruct them to say, Thanks, after they receive their request.  We are good at saying, “Please” when we approach God in prayer.  Often, we forget to say, “Thanks”.

Gene and I were remarking recently that we had seen many answers to prayer.  We gave Thanks to God.  But, we discussed the fact that He daily blesses us and cares for us in so many ways.  We take it all for granted.  We don’t even consider that he has protected us, provided for us, loved us every minute of every day.  Sometimes, we have the attitude: “Well, God, what have you done for me today?”  Or, we look into the future and wonder if He will provide for our tomorrows. I want to start living with an “attitude of gratitude” How about you?

I love the Psalmist’s words:  “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!”  and “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits”  I want to remember every day to give my appreciation, thanks, and praise to my God!

The final verse of Amazing Grace goes: “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright, shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun.”  I will have eternity to Praise Him and say Thank You.  I plan to begin right now!  I am going to LOVE HIM BACK!