Counting Blessings

 

[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. (Psalm 145:13-21 ESV).

 

Yesterday we saw the need to take inventory. Today I thought it might be helpful to concentrate on what we really need to “count.” In Psalm 145 David calls us to take the time to look back on our lives and reflect on the goodness of our God. We are encouraged to praise God for his greatness, his compassion, and his faithfulness, and to thank God for his many gifts throughout our lives. In the words of an old hymn, we are urged, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.”

 

I have often thought how different my life has turned out than I imagined when I was younger. I don’t want that to sound as if there are “regrets.” Of course, I regret some of the decisions made through the years, but God has been faithful to keep His promise of making all things work together for good (cf. Romans 8:28). Some of the good wasn’t revealed until much later in life, but it has always been the same end result. I remarked to one couple recently that their gift to Grace Restoration Ministries couldn’t have come at a better time. What they couldn’t have known is that I was anticipating a particular annual expense related to health care, their gift was the exact amount needed to cover that expense. It seems that is how God has always worked in our lives. Sometimes it required me to do some extra work to earn money for these kinds of expenses, and sometimes it just appeared through the generosity of others to the ministry.

 

That is often a thought that produces a desire to praise God. Of course, it’s possible that you don’t feel like praising God. Maybe you look back on this year and feel you were not blessed at all. Perhaps you feel like the person who said to me, “There is absolutely nothing that I could possibly be thankful for.” Perhaps life came at you in ways you never anticipated. It has been that kind of year! If that’s how you feel, read Psalm 145 again. Take some time by yourself to reflect on every part of this psalm. Look back on this past year, and trace the hand of God who provides you with everything you need. In spite of everything that happens in our lives, God never leaves us. Most important, he gave us the greatest gift imaginable, the gift of his only Son, the Lord Jesus.