The Secret Garden Chronicles: I Will Bless The Lord At All Times

"I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

and let us exalt His name together."

Psalm 34:1-3

The last couple of days I was a little "under the weather" and didn't feel much like writing or doing anything to speak of!  But this morning I feel so much better...and I want to praise the Lord for His goodness and kindness and great mercy.  

We've had a lot of rain here lately, and everything is lush and green and growing like a jungle!  In my few ventures out into the yard, in between swatting mosquitoes, I managed to take a few pictures of the crepe myrtles blooming so profusely...so I thought I should post them for posterity...to remember in the lean years when things don't bloom so well:

 Notice the wisteria vines along the fence...they really came back strong after we cut them all down to put up the new fence!

 In the Memorial Garden...definitely looking more like a memorial "jungle"....

I was just thinking about the statement I wrote above: "so I thought I should post them for posterity...to remember in the lean years when things don't bloom so well".... and I thought to myself, 

Isn't that exactly what the Bible is all about?  God's Word was written many years ago, when the Lord was speaking through His prophets and servants and when Jesus, God's Son actually walked upon the earth, and it was written for a future generation...for the "lean years" when perhaps things might not be going so well...so that a future generation would know about and remember God's promises and words of hope and salvation...The Bible even tells us that:

"This will be written for the generation to come,

That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord."

Psalm 102:18

And again in Psalm 78:5-7

"For He established a testimony in Jacob,

And appointed a law in Israel,

which He commanded our fathers,

That they should make them known to their children;

That the generation to come might know them,

The children who would be born,

That they may arise and declare them to their children,

That they may set their hope in God,

And not forget the works of God,

But keep His commandments."

Yes, it is good to record God's blessings and times of encouragement and answers to prayer...so that we can reflect and recall them in the "lean years", and be reminded of God's faithfulness forever!

This lovely deer was walking through our yard early one morning, and I was blessed to able to snap a couple of pictures before she darted back into the woods...

"O taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!

There is no want to those who fear Him."

Psalm 34:8-9

So, perhaps these words of praise and encouragement will bless you today...and if you find yourself in the midst of a "lean year", be reminded of God's goodness and kindness and mercy...and remember that He never changes...He will always be there for you...

"The poor man cried out,

and the Lord heard him,

and saved him out of all his troubles!"

Psalm 34:6

Have a blessed day, my friends!!!