Romans 10:12-13
For there is no
difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly
blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved."
For some reason, it is a part of human nature to focus more on what we do not have than on what we do have. No matter how much we have, we are still unsatisfied. We want more. We want something better, newer, flashier. Whatever we have right now is not good enough.
As I
was running the other day, the thought came to me about what a blessing it is
that I can run; not just walk, but actually run. I cannot run as fast as I did
when I was a young man, but I can still run at a decent pace. My legs work, my
heart pumps, my lungs provide oxygen. Every time I see someone in a store
struggling to walk, I am thankful that I can run.
Maybe
running is not your thing; it probably is not, but think about the many ways
that you have been blessed by God. Yes, by God! Let us not forget that the
author of all of our blessings is God Himself. As James as said, Every good
and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly
lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17) God has
promised to richly bless all who call on him. Each of our blessings are
tailored to us as individuals. Each is a gift from our loving Father.
On
Saturday, we were blessed to sit on the sidelines and watch our 5-year-old
grandson play soccer. We were blessed to have lunch with our son and his family
after the game. We were blessed to be able to drive to Grand Rapids and see the
new house that our daughter and son-in-law just purchased. One year ago, we were
1000 miles away and unable to be actively involved in our children’s lives.
Today we are minutes away. What a blessing.
Each
morning I sit at a table and look out on our backyard as I eat my breakfast.
Right now, it is an ever-changing scene as the trees blossom and bud, the birds
flit around the bird feeder, and the creek sparkles in the morning sunlight.
Some would say that we were lucky to get the house that we did. I say that we
are blessed.
On
Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching at the church we are attending. It was
a blessing to be able to open the word of God for those people. It was a
blessing to sense God’s Spirit as He took my words and used them for His glory.
Later we went on a hike at a nearby state park. It was a little more strenuous than
we had anticipated, but we were blessed by beautiful sights all around us. What
a blessing to have such easy access to such a beautiful place.
But the
greatest blessing that we can have is not material. It is the blessing of God’s
redemptive work through Jesus Christ. When we place our faith in Christ, we are
embraced by God’s unquenchable love. We are cleansed by God’s indescribable
mercy. We are enriched by God’s overflowing grace. We are empowered by the
indwelling of His Spirit.
The
Bible reminds us that we like sheep have all gone astray. Even as believers in
Christ, we still act like sheep. We become distracted and we wander away. We
become rebellious at times. Yet God never abandons us. God always calls us back
to Himself with open arms. God’s forgiveness, grace, and restoration are unbounded.
We should never take that for granted, but we should also never forget to give
thanks.
Every
breath I take is a gift from God. Every new day is an opportunity to experience
the amazing grace of God. Every day is an occasion to reflect upon the blessings
of God and give thanks to Him. As the old hymn goes, count your blessing, name
them one by one. Count your blessing, see what God has done. Count your
blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has
done.
Have
you counted your blessings lately?
Psalm 103:1-2
Praise the
Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost
being, praise his holy name.
Praise the
Lord, O my soul,
and forget not
all his benefits--
No comments:
Post a Comment