“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” – Psalm 103:2
Today is a day of reflection for me. I decided to “count my blessings,” but I found out that it was impossible to do so! God has blessed my life in so many ways that I cannot number them all!
When I think of all the wonderful things God has done for me, I naturally gravitate toward the obvious blessings: family, friends, health, home, etc., but when I really take the time to reflect on how God has moved throughout my life, there are a plethora of things that come to mind.
I am grateful for little things, like finding a lost piece of jewelry or gathering an egg from my chickens. I am grateful for big things, like having extra money to meet an unexpected need or having a working generator when the power goes out. I am grateful for trivial things, like not accidentally running into a spider web with its maker sitting dead center (I am terrified of those critters!), and I am grateful for extremely important things, like keeping my experience with covid mild.
When I really stop to ponder how much God has done for me, I am in awe of His goodness to me! The Bible reminds me that every good thing in my life comes from the Lord. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17). It reminds me again of His goodness in Matthew 7:11. “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
The next time you can’t sleep, instead of counting sheep, try counting your blessings! When you do finally drift off, you’ll have a heart full of gratitude to the Lord!
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
(from “Count Your Blessings” by Johnson Oatman, Jr.)
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” – Ephesians 5:20
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So often our prayers focus on asking God for something. Be sure to take some time today simply thanking God for all He’s done!