COUNTING the BLESSINGS in our LIVES

Jun 21

June 21 Bible Reading: Psalms Chapters 98-104

COUNTING the BLESSINGS in our LIVES

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalms 103:1-5)

Psalms 103 is one of the beautiful hymns penned by King David, in which he blesses God for who He is and for all the blessings He has bestowed on his life. At the outset, David sings of the personal mercies which he had himself received (vv. 1-5), and having been forgiven and redeemed, he felt like a renewed person (v. 5). Then David magnifies the attributes of Jehovah as displayed in his dealings with his people (vv. 6-19); and he closes by calling upon all the creatures in the universe to adore the Lord and join with himself in blessing the ever gracious Jehovah God.

Psalms 103:2 reminds us that we should not forget “all the benefits” that God has poured in our lives. In verses 3-5, David lists out five core blessings that God has granted to us:

God has forgiven ALL our iniquities.
God has healed ALL our diseases.
God has redeemed our life from total destruction.
God has crowned us with His lovingkindness and tender mercies.
God has satisfied us with good things in our lives so that we are renewed in strength and purpose.

Let us remember that God daily loads us with benefits (Psalms 68:19). We need to acknowledge God’s abundance in our lives, and counting these blessings will multiply the joys in our lives. In the midst of trouble, acknowledging God’s role in our lives can redirect our thinking from the hurts of our hearts and forces us instead to dwell upon the greatness of our God who cares about us so deeply. There is a healing power in praise, so praising God’s greatness will put hope and instill joy in our troubled hearts!

Read carefully the following words of the famous hymn penned by Johnson Oatman, Jr.:

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 hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

[*And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.]