Praise God, from Whom All Blessing Flow (ELW 884)
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.
Devotion
Where do you find joy? Years ago, I was blessed to work for the ELCA’s World Hunger Disaster Appeal and encountered many wonderfully faithful people. My travels took me to the Seattle area where I met a woman who, with her husband, had been missionaries for many years. Though her husband had died a few years before, I explained that my reason for being there was to bring thanks for their monthly giving which had been sustained for decades without any gaps. She deflected my words of appreciation by stating that she and her husband had wished to give so much more, but as missionaries they had little income. Then I shared that their $25 a month, with the memorials received when her husband died, had amounted to over $17,000. Without hesitation she sang, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!” She had found joy in giving.
Prayer
Gracious and giving God, instill in us the joy of giving. Help us to see how your joy was made complete in the offering you made for all humankind so that we too might join the angels in singing your praises. Amen.