It’s “THE VALUE OF COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS” Saturday
LORD WE PRAISE YOU FOR OUR DAILY BLESSINGS
Whether you realize it or not, one of the most effective methods of experiencing physical, mental emotional and spiritual therapy, is to take a retrospective view of your life and count the many blessings which God has bestowed upon you. Yes, there is an unparalleled kind of therapy which goes on every time you count your blessings. You see, you can’t count complaints and blessings at the same time. If you don’t believe what I’m saying, try it for yourself. I dare you to try it! Let your mind flash back upon the blessings, which you have received in the last twenty-four hours. Go ahead and start counting your blessings of the last twenty-four hours. If you need some help, I’ll assist you: You’ve been breathing God’ air. Your life has been sustained by the power of God, (Paul said in Acts 17:28, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”) You had some food to eat. You had some water and some other beverages to drink. You had your eyes to see, ears to hear and tongue to talk. You were able to lie down on a beauty-rest mattress and sleep all night long while the angels watched over your bedside. You were awakened this morning, not by your alarm clock, but by the invisible finger of God. When you woke up, your body had been re-vitalized, you were clothed in your right mind, you noticed that your bed was not your cooling board and that your cover was not your winding-sheet. You had the right exercise of your limbs and you were able to get up and start on another day’s journey. And I know, you could go on and on about them, but that’s about two-dozen blessings to begin with in less than twenty-four hours. And while you were thinking about those blessings, you didn’t have time to complain. The very thought of those blessings caused you to smile and there’s no way that you can smile and frown at the same time. So, if you want to feel better, think better, as well as look better, count your blessings. The poet expressed it in these words:
“When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, Then I fall asleep counting my blessings. When my bank-roll is getting small, I think of the time when I had nothing at all, Then I fall asleep counting my blessing. I think about a nursery, And I picture curly heads, And one by one I count them, As they slumber in their beds. So, if you’re worried and cannot sleep, Just count your blessings instead of sheep, Then you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”
Beloved, when I begin to count all of God’s blessings, my trials, my tribulations and all of my complaints seem to take a back seat. I begin to feel so good that those aches and pains seem to leave me. I’ll tell you, there’s therapy in counting your blessings. Come on now and let’s count our blessings. He forgives our sins – that’s one; He heals our diseases – that’s two; He redeems us from destruction – that’s three. He crowns us with loving kindness – that makes four; He satisfies our mouths with good things so that our youth is renewed – that’s five; He executes righteousness and justice – that’s six; And then He’s merciful, He’s gracious, He’s slow to anger and He is plenteous in mercy. That’s seven, eight, nine and ten. But I can’t stop counting right there. I can’t close without telling you about a blessing that took place on Friday almost 2000 years ago. It took place out on a lonely hill called Calvary. They crucified a man called Jesus and I have to count that as a blessing, because He died that I might live. And then there’s just one more blessing that I have to mention. It happened on the following Sunday morning. I don’t know the exact time, but somebody said that it was early. It took place in a cemetery on the out-skirts of Jerusalem. The one who died on Friday came back to life. The one, who had been buried, got up out of the grave. The one who had been crucified was resurrected.
“So 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.”
