By Melissa McLaughlin
The water in our backyard spritzed and sprayed like a center city fountain. But it didn’t come from a hose. Birds in all shapes and sizes waited at the edge of our birdbath with eyes alert. When one flitted away, a new bird dove in.
Each bird plunged its wings and beak into the water then arose sloshing droplets in every direction. In rapid succession, a whirl of water doused and drenched their bodies. The birds’ joyful and explosive splattering saturated the area surrounding the birdbath like a spring rain.
I have never seen anything like it. A birdbath splash party of sorts.
Our region is experiencing drought conditions. Therefore, we strive to offer refreshment to the outdoor critters who might be more parched than usual.
That day, however, my husband and I paused in total awe. God granted us a rare peek into the utter elation and gleeful abandon of birds reveling in the gift of water.
When I think of water, I think of life. We cannot survive without it.
Much like the Living Water of Jesus Christ.
Without His sacrificial blood to atone for our sins and His resurrection victory over death and Satan, we are doomed. Ruined. Literally hopeless.
Yet, for believers in Christ, God floods us with abounding blessings in this life which continue for all eternity.
This is the good news of the gospel! We will never hear better news than this!
May our hearts erupt with jubilation! May we lift our hands and voices in total praise to the Lord who made a way for rebellious sinners to be cleansed and welcomed into the family of God!
When drought covers the landscape of our hearts with grief, loss, discouragement, or disappointment, I pray we remember the birds.
May our hearts surge with gratitude for God’s common graces like fresh water, healthy food, clothing, shelter, church, and family. Thankfulness can anchor our souls to God when storm waves swell around us.
Further, when we consider our bleak plight without Jesus, may we lift our gaze and dance with sheer delight at the spiritual blessings God lavished on us through our Savior.
In Christ, we are forgiven, chosen, loved, clothed in His righteousness, adopted into His family, seated in heavenly places, blessed in the beloved, called a son and daughter of the Most High God, sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Blessings upon blessings. Mercy upon mercy. Grace upon grace.
May overflowing gratitude burst from the depths of our souls. How great is our God! And how great a love He showered on us through Jesus!
No matter what else happens in the world around us, as Christians we are exceedingly blessed! We have a reason to rejoice!
May the birds not outdo us in praise!
Here are some Scriptures that remind me to praise the Lord. What helps you remember to be grateful to God?
Psalm 150:6 (ESV) – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
1 John 3:1 (NIV) – See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
John 3:16 (NKJV) – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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Pause and Take Time to Rejoice
Melissa, I’m also grateful for the living water of Christ that springs up as a well inside us and overflows with abundant blessings from heavenly places. It makes me want to shout! We will never experience a spiritual drought unless we choose to move away from God and become like broken cisterns the Bible speaks about.
Karen, thank you for these insightful and faith-boosting words of encouragement! The living water of Christ bubbles up from within, so we never need to be in a spiritual drought. Lord, help us remain close to you for nourishment and refreshment. God bless you, Karen!
This is just wonderful. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Even on our hardest days, the days when the enemy seems relentless in his pursuit we can rejoice because we serve a mighty God, Jesus Christ, the name above all other names is our Savior and Lord! Thank you Jesus!
Thank you for your heartfelt words of praise, Karen! Hallelujah! We are blessed beyond measure through faith in Jesus! You’re right, we do endure hard days in this life, but we always have hope. Thank you, Jesus! God bless you, Karen!
Karen, thank you for these wonderful words of praise to the Lord! Hallelujah! You are right, we go through hard days here on earth, but when we lift our eyes up, we remember how blessed we are for all eternity. May God bless and refresh you today!
I’m thankful and comforted by the living water of Christ. Our area needed rain while other areas in the country had downpours. Over the past few days, the water falling from the sky gave people and the ground the needed supply. I pray we all will feel His presence and show overflowing gratitude. Have a blessed week dear friend! 🙂
What a beautiful illustration, Melissa. It revives the earth and it revives our souls when we experience the refreshment of long awaited rain. Praise God! Yes, may we feel His presence and overflow with gratitude back to Him. Oh what a Savior! God bless and refresh you today!
I am grateful for everything, both what we call “good” and “bad.” I have lived over 70 years now and the Lord has blessed me with having seen soooooooooo much “good” come out of “bad.” Thank You, Father, for the living water of Jesus, the Christ, who is the only One who can quench our thirst.
Chebba, this is a very wise and faith-filled insight. Thank you for sharing your over 70 years of blessings and walking with the Lord. Yes, indeed, He works all things together for good, for those who are called according to His purposes. Only Jesus can quench our thirst and He floods us with His living water of salvation and new life! God bless you, Chebba!
Yes, amen! Thank God for the Living Water and our security in Christ. Thank you for this refreshing post, Melissa. Praise God for His grace and compassion.
Amen, Stephen! Our security in Christ is a blessing of immeasurable worth. May we bask in God’ overwhelming love and forgiveness and may our praises never cease!
Amen Missy!
Thanks for taking the time to read and share an encouraging word, Pat! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
This longing for the living water reminded me of the lyrics to Steven Curtis Chapman’s song, Dive.
I’m diving in, I’m going deep, in over my head I wanna be
Caught in the rush, lost in the flow, in over my head I wanna go
The river’s deep, the river’s wide, the river’s water is alive
So sink or swim, I’m diving in
That’s a good one, Tom! Now I have that song stuck in my head and I love it! More of you, Jesus, more of you!
I’ll never forget your illustration of the birds basking and rejoicing in the water bath. I can just picture the sprays of water as they praise God, as only God’s creations can.
May I be as faithful to praise my Savior as these birds were that day. God said if we don’t praise Him, the rocks will cry out in praise.
I praise You, O Lord, for great things You have done. Thank You, most of all, for salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
That’s such an excellent Scripture connection, Mary Anne! If we don’t praise Him, the rocks will cry out in praise. O Lord, give us overflowing gratitude! We have so many reasons to rejoice and Jesus is the greatest!
Thank you for reading and sharing your rich insights. God bless you and your family, Mary Anne!
Thank you Melissa!
I really enjoy reading the Overflowing Gratitude blog. It’s a beautiful reminder of how truly blessed we are! 🕊️🕊️🤍🕊️🕊️
God bless you & your family!
Amen Audre! We are truly blessed beyond measure! God bless you and your family!
What an awe inspiring picture you captured with your words Melissa. Amen and hallelujah.
I hope to be a joyful as the birds about God’s blessings and provisions. He daily pours out mercies and graces in the earth. And how He poured out eternal blessings through Jesus!
Amen, amen — May the birds not outdo us in praise! We cannot thrive, we cannot live, without Jesus. We are so blessed!
Amen Jessica! I love your words: We cannot thrive, we cannot live, without Jesus. We are blessed beyond measure!