"Life"

I wake up early thinkin’,

‘Bout the chores I have to do,

The cattle that need feedin’,

And of course the horses, too.

The fence that need re-workin’,

And a pile of brush to burn,

The calf that needs a-weanin’,

So the next can take a turn.

The pastures need the bush hog,

The chickens need some scratch,

The eggs that we will gather,

To scramble not to hatch.

This place a gift from heaven,

This life a blessing real,

The thanks we give each evening,

And the Spirit that we feel.

All tells us that God loves us,

And if we delight in Him,

Our heart’s desire He sends us,

It’s the way it’s always been.

For the Good Lord is the giver,

Of every good and perfect gift,

And He is glad to do it,

And His grace our lives will lift.

So never doubt the reason,

If you get to live this way,

The work is our enjoyment,

Of a life that’s here to stay.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17, NAS)

James tells us that God is consistently the giver of good gifts. Some refuse to acknowledge God’s blessings, insisting that what they have they’ve gotten through their own hard work. No doubt hard work is a part of the equation. But we understand that even the air we breathe and the strength to work are gifts from the Creator. A healthy assessment is that we position ourselves to receive the good things God intends when we are industrious about praying for and doing the right things. We are given far more that we could ever earn or deserve, and it’s because God multiplies blessings from His love for us. There is no better explanation but that He favors us and enjoys blessing us.

Lord, help us realize that it blesses You to give us blessing, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Dane, used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.