“Lord, you are to be blessed and praised;
All good things come from you:
You are in our words and in our thoughts,
And in all that we do. Amen”
St Teresa of Avila
How often do we think like St Teresa? Knowing absolutely that everything we are saying and doing comes from God? I know, speaking for myself that it is not easy to praise and feel blessed when things are not going well, especially when I find myself faced with the problems and trials of everyday living. It is very easy to count blessings and see God in everything when things are going well and going the way we wish them to, but it is so hard to feel blessed and want to praise when they aren’t.
One of the things that I have learned to do when things seem the darkest is to look around me and see the many blessings that are right there beside me. The blessing of sunshine, the rain falling on parched land, the excited voices of small children playing, the many colors of the flowers or trees that are so close to me, or even the food that will sustain me throughout the days that are to come. If I am lucky enough to be near the ocean all I have to do is look far out to the horizon and realize that God is to be blessed and praised and that just as He is in midst of the tides He is also in me. There are so many blessings around us and all we have to do is recognize them.
Blessed One, sometimes it is hard for me to see the blessings that are all around me. Enable my eyes to be opened to the beauty and the joys that surround me. Help me to see the blessings in every situation and respond with thanks and praise, just as St Teresa did. Amen
Receive the blessings and guidance that God is offering you and give thanks. Even if you don’t feel like praising, or you feel God’s presence and his blessings are far away, simply sit and feel His presence which is one of the most beautiful blessings. He will understand.
by Terry Stead
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• How to be fill with the Holy Spirit
• Stepping Into a Personal Revival
• Salvation Explained
