Counting our Blessings!

Last night an old song kept going through my mind.  I can remember singing this hymn as a young child as well as through the earlier years of our ministry service.  The song included these words: "Count your blessings and see what God has done, count your many blessings and name them one by one."  As I grew older I realized that the challenge of this song would be impossible to complete.  No one of us can adequately remember much less count all of the blessings that God has provided throughout our lives.  This post is not being written to make any of us feel guilty or to make us feel that we are unthankful.  But it is being written to remind us of the opportunity to express to God our true thankfulness for His presence in our lives.

I believe it is time for the children of God to express our appreciation to God for all that He has done in our lives.  We live in a world of bad moods, bad attitudes, negative views of life as well as of God, and a society that has developed an attitude of entitlement for possessions and what society has defined as success.  The Bible is full of scripture passages that encourage us to offer praise and adoration to God.  The Apostle Paul warned us that a spirit of unthankfulness would grip the hearts of believers during the time prior to the coming of Jesus Christ.  Many of us can see the evidence of this warning in our daily lives.  The words "thank you" have almost disappeared from the language of many individuals.  But I believe that many of us have a strong desire to recognize the favor of God that has been upon us.  We understand that each of us face our own set of challenges but look around and realize that there are many people who are facing circumstances that are far more difficult than the ones that we are facing.  Remember, I do not desire for you to feel guilty.  I simply want to stir and awaken the attitude of praise and thankfulness that is in your heart.  Let us look around us and realize that we are blessed.  Let us look up and offer thanksgiving (not the holiday version) to the Mighty God who has been with us every moment of our lives.

Psalm 150:1-2,6: "Praise the Lord!  Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!  Praise Him for is mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord! (NKJV)