Day 5 Really counting our blessings
Genesis 24:1Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.
“Count your blessings; name them one by one…” (Johnson Oatman Jr. public domain) Do you remember singing this old hymn? I heard it a lot growing up, But what constitutes a blessing from God? I have a rather short list in my mind. Breath, wakefulness, mobility, food shelter, relative safety, to name just a few. But, as I look at Abraham’s life I note that not everything was pleasant. Not everything was easy. There were struggles, and enemies, and there were direct challenges from God himself. Did Abraham rise to every occasion? Was he ever overtaken by fear? Was his performance 100 per cent perfect? Not in the least. He was, however head and shoulders above his contemporaries. Why; because he listened. God does not expect perfect performance. He expects obedience. He commands reverence.
Obedience is often confused with slavery. It is rather, a path to understanding God’s “good pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2b)
Reverence is the doorway through which we enter into the holy presence of God, anytime, anywhere, and in any circumstance. This is the place where we receive not only knowledge, but wisdom. (Proverbs 1:7, Psalm 111:10)
What factors and circumstances combined in your life to be considered the blessings of God; Trials, sickness through which you have gained insight; Pain which may have immobilized you for a time perhaps to give you the opportunity to seek Him? The euphoria of success, the moments of clarity, the greatness of someone’s compassion toward you, all of these and more combine as the blessings of a loving God.
Larry M Lawrence- Mysteries 