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by Robert Thornton (Author)
There shall be showers of blessings. (Ezekiel 34:26)
The goodness, kindness, and blessings of God did not "start" when we repented of our sins and came to Christ--because it was the goodness and mercy of God that "led us" to repentance.
Romans 2:4 says that we did not know that it was the goodness and forbearance of God that leads us to repentance. This is due to the fact that before our conversion, our "spiritual birth," or our born-again experience, we were blind to spiritual things-even the benevolent intervention of God in our lives.
Remember, Jesus said in St. John 3:3,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Before we received Christ and became born again, we were spiritually blind. Saint John 1:12-13 says,
But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Therefore, after we are born again and are alive unto God, we are able to see and recognize all the goodness and mercy of God in our lives. When we look back over our lives with our new "spiritual perception," we see the goodness and forbearance of God that tenderly guided us to our salvation.
Often the Holy Spirit will take us on a retrospective journey into our past and illuminate various times and situations that as born-again children, we are now able to see and identify as the gracious hand of our Heavenly Father at work in our lives. He was working in our lives long before we ever came to truly know Him or appreciate the goodness and mercy that was granted to us.
However, when we do take the time and look back through the years with the eyes of our understanding being opened by our new birth in Christ, we begin to realize the blessings are more than we are able to count.
It's like trying to count raindrops during a springtime shower. Of course, we know that it would be impossible to count each one. But whenever we recognize any of the providential blessings of God, and testify of his goodness and his mighty acts, we are giving praise to his name. Since there are so many of them and they never cease, then our praises of God would be continuous. This is why the palmist said,
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)
Also,
I will shew forth all thy marvelous works. (Psalm 9:1)
And
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34:3)
The greatest form of praise is to describe what our God is able to do, has done, and is still doing--even in our times. He is able to do "exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask of think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20).
It is my prayer that every believer will be more inspired to look through the clear prism of spiritual discernment and review their lives--before and after coming to Christ--and show forth all his marvelous works.
