When do we pause to truly think about God – his unfailing love, his faithfulness, his justice, his power, his goodness, his righteousness – without being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of who he is? Like Job, we may feel we know a great deal about God, and still feel we will never fully grasp his greatness or the depth of his relationship with us.

 

Lovingly generous towards us, we wake each day only by God's grace. His creation is exquisitely beautiful and in it, we glimpse his own grandeur and beauty, reflected in everything he has made. No artist, however skilled, could ever surpass it. Our life is so much bigger than simply focusing on ourselves and our needs and desires – he gives us reason to live and reason to rejoice as we experience wonder in what he enables us to do.

 

We marvel at his greatness and the wonder of his handiwork – in nature, in ourselves, in the situations we face – and through it all we learn faith and trust, growing in the knowledge that he is all we need.

 

Every good gift we have comes from God. He blesses the world through what he has given us, so that we, too, might be a blessing to others. And to each heart that knows him — that “walks in his ways” – he gives more: faith to trust him, and courage to act on that trust.

 

In our country, rife with unemployment, we know what the value of having work means and are so grateful to be able to use our God-given skills and gifts fruitfully – however he provides for us; as we do, we know the joy and fulfilment of his blessing.

 

And it’s in his power alone that we are blessed to see our children’s children – little hands reaching for ours, faces that light up our lives, infectious giggles and infant gurgles that melt our hearts – all at a time when we have grown in faith and understanding over many years, and can finally appreciate this miracle for what it is.

 

May we be fully aware of all our blessings as we walk in his ways today.

 

Prayer: Gracious Father, blessed indeed is the person who fears you, because you provide security, stability and joy through obedience to your Word. You are our Creator and we know that our life is in your hands, we are answerable to you, and have purpose in living. Please keep me in the palm of your hand. Amen.