Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow, ELW 884
Devotion
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heav'nly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
At how many meals have I sung the Doxology with family and friends over the years in prayer? Countless, it seems, bringing fond memories of relationships and contexts that have yielded many blessings. I sense a Communion of Saints in the music and prayer. Sometimes we use the petition, "Be present at our table, Lord..."
The best way to live for anybody is, simply put, gratefully. We give thanks and count our blessings in sharing meals, prayers, worship and life. It is tempting to focus on our misgivings, which inevitably leads us to singing the blues. There will be such times, and the Psalms express a full range of emotions for our reflection. Psalm 30 describes the transformation: "Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning...You have turned my wailing into dancing!"
Prayer
Heavenly Father, each morning, in spite of our mood or circumstances, inspire us to proclaim Psalm 118:24: "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Amen.