Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Have you counted your blessings lately?

 

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--

 

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