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God in His love and mercy
sends blizzards of blessing our way every day. We need only look for them. Can
you see them? Let’s not anything cloud our vision of His blessings.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
Blizzards of blessing
Outside my window are two
aspen trees that recently turned bright yellow. The wind brought about a
blizzard of their golden leaves. The ground beneath was piled high with
sunshine gold.
As we northerners know,
winter blizzards are also accompanied by high winds. Beauty is present in them,
and they bring blessings by insulating the land, killing warm-air germs, covering
seeds and replenishing moisture for future growth.
Whether God covers the earth
with snow or with autumn leaves, His blizzards of blessing are meant to show us
His favor and approval. The Word of God contains dozens of examples of His
blessing. When God had Moses teach the Israelites His law, He included a long
list of blessings on obedience, such as future children, good weather and good
crops, and safety from enemies.
The list of blessings is
followed by a list of curses for disobedience from which they suffered
repeatedly. They forgot to be grateful for God’s blessings and turned away from
Him. But God in His merciful patience kept wooing them back, blessing them
whenever they repented.
The New Testament also tells
of people who received God’s favor, starting with Jesus. “Blessed is He who
comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9) His followers shouted those words
as Jesus rode into town on a humble donkey. Mary, Jesus’ mother, also was
called blessed, as were those who believed in Him after His ascension. “Blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
The Bible’s famous Beatitudes in Matthew,
chapter 5, list several ways we receive God’s blizzards of blessing. We’re
favored when we have a humble spirit and are meek, when we hunger and thirst
for God’s righteousness and are merciful to others, when we cause peace rather
than discord and when we are willing to be persecuted for His sake.
God’s blessings come in many
forms. He favors us with incredible peace of mind and joy, His wisdom and
strength when needed and the gift of salvation. A popular discipline is to keep
a gratitude list. As we form the daily habit of meditating on His gifts and
thanking Him for them, we find our lives becoming richer and freer from
negative thoughts. Gratitude brings us good physical, emotional and spiritual
health, which is a blessing indeed.
Thank You, Lord, for your unending blessings that fall
on us like a blizzard of golden leaves. Cause us to always remember to thank
You and to pass on Your blessings to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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