Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Number 759, 760, 761 and counting….

Bless the Lord!

You know God is amazing to me. And I believe I have said it before, but I’ll say it again… it is so important to watch the things that we take into our spirit. Songs, words, sayings, pictures, movies, surroundings, and the list goes on and on because it can all get absorbed one way or the other. But on a website about a week or so ago, maybe even before then, someone posted as their profile status, they were counting their blessings. And I responded, “bless God!” It is always good to acknowledge the ways that God blesses you, big and small. (And really there is no such thing as small with God). And then I saw it again, someone else did it. “I’m counting my blessings today.” And those words got stuck in my spirit and continue to be.

A couple of days later after seeing them again, God had me to look up the words because someone wrote a song about it. An old old old song and I don’t believe that anyone ever did a remake (if someone did and you know about it, please tell me) but it’s a song written by Johnson Oatman, Jr. in 1897. That is not a typo. 1897. Not 1987. Over 100 years ago, he wrote this song based on the Scripture, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Counting our blessings is giving thanks for everything we have. And that is what God wants us to do. That is the will of God concerning you. Concerning your life. Be thankful for what you have. And most importantly be thankful for what God has done for you.

Anyway, as God was leading me to do I looked up the words to the song and they are really very simple but give meaning to why we should count our blessings, aside from the obvious… one phrase says, “upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged and thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done." This makes you take a moment in the midst of your storms of life and realize what God has done. When you think that nothing is working out, when you feel low and lost, count and number all the things that God has done and it will surprise you that things are not as bad as they seem. And I am reminded of the Scripture in Lamentations, chapter 3, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." The words cause you to meditate on the goodness and the faithfulness of God… what He has done for you. This can carry us over. When we stop to take a moment and breathe and remember that God is yet good and He is faithful it gives us hope. When we do that, when we remember what He has done for us in the past, we are acknowledging how He has blessed us, we are counting our blessings and it is when we grab hold of what He has done for us in the past, that we are compelled to go on. God is too good! Always! Count your blessings, name them one by one and see what the Lord has done. When I think about the goodness of God and all He has done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah!!! Thank You Jesus!

So this is where I am today in the midst of counting my blessings, every single one of them. And really they are too numerous for me to actually count. Any number wouldn’t be accurate because I know I would have missed one. But just the meditation of it, will make me realize just how good God is and be thankful in everything.

We just celebrated Mother’s Day and I am thankful that God allowed my husband and me to celebrate our moms. Both of them (mom and mother-in-law) stayed with us over the last four days and it was a pleasure. There was nothing but peace and love. And I am grateful for both of them. Two of my blessings right there. My own daughter whose a mom, and her beautiful son (my grandson), there’s another two right there. My other two children who love me… (another two… see what I mean). The numbers quickly add up if we stop for a moment and name them. Count your blessings. Name them one by one. My husband who is better to me than 10 sons. (Another one). I am grateful for him and I am grateful to God for giving him to me… on a side note, we will celebrate our 27th Wedding Anniversary in just a couple of days. (That’s another blessing from the Lord).

If God says the same, I will be marking another birthday in just a couple of weeks (blessing no. 9 off the top of my head). God is good. Count your blessings. When you begin to get down, count your blessings. When you get discouraged, count your blessings. When you get in the complaining mode and don’t feel as though any body appreciates you or what you do, count your blessings. When your body aches, count your blessings. When it’s raining, count your blessings. Name them one by one and see what (else) the Lord has done!!!! And what about the opportunity to be reading this, you must have access to a computer, on the internet, (that’s three right, there). Count them. I encourage you today to take a moment and count your blessings. And watch what it does for you. God is good, yall. And I’m counting that one too!

Be blessed today. God is real.

A servant of the Lord,

Sis. E





http://sis.e.home.comcast.net
http://www.ongoodground.org