After The Storm

I sat enthralled this morning at the kitchen table as I gazed at the gorgeous array of colors that overcame my visual sensors!  Looking up through our large sliding glass door to the patio, I was captivated by the bright sunlight as it highlighted the top bouquets of our salmon pink and fire engine red geraniums that are hanging from our patio cover.  Behind them the tall maples and redwoods that line the street a few houses in front of ours acted as a backdrop with speckles of blue sky and puffy white clouds peeking through their outstretched branches.  Below the fence line the deep purple geranium was surrounded by our three tomato plants and two zucchini bushes that are growing by leaps and bounds and just seem to be shouting for joy at the prospect of warm summer days and evenings and their resultant bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables.

As I enjoyed the scene before me, I was amused by the thought of contrasts and how one day can be so totally different than the one before.  Yesterday we had a weather front go through the area and the morning broke cool, damp and dark before the skies began to clear and strong winds whisked through in the later part of the afternoon.  Today we are enjoying the warmth and crisp freshness left over by the storm.

This was all a gentle reminder that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  (Psalm 23:6 KJV)  It was a gentle reminder that even though we experienced a storm coming through our life last week, that God’s goodness and mercy still prevail and the dark clouds of trouble have blown away making room for the bright “Sonlight” of His peace, joy and comfort to shine forth in our day!

And sure, as with any storm that goes through a locale, there is debris to clean up, the possibility of things to repair, and sometimes new directions to be taken, but the goodness and mercy of the Lord remains the same.  For His “love never fails,” (I Corinthians 13:8 NKJV) and “His faithfulness is great.” (Lamentations 3:23 God’s Word ©)

So don’t let the knockdowns in life keep you down.  Look forward to the bright new day ahead.  Depend on the appearance of His love and faithfulness to bring you right back up to your feet in a stunning victory!  I took a quick look today and came across at least 43 verses in God’s Word that assure us that “His mercy (or love) endures forever!”  Many of these encouraging words written under the direction the Holy Spirit are prefixed with the additional promise that the “Lord is good!”

So don’t be blue, but choose to chew on the truth of His Word and then rejoice and be glad while you sing along with the Psalmist who penned the words to Psalm 40:5:

“You have done many miraculous things, O Lord my God

 You have made many wonderful plans for us.

 No one compares to you!

 I will tell others about your miracles,

 Which are more than I can count.” *

Have a wonderful day.  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What GOOD THINGS am I expecting today?”

* God’s Word ©