Count God's Blessings

Oh, praise the Lord, for he has listened to my pleadings! He is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trusted in him, and he helped me. Joy rises in my heart until I burst out in songs of praise to him. The Lord protects his people and gives victory to his anointed king.

Defend your people, Lord; defend and bless your chosen ones. Lead them like a shepherd and carry them forever in your arms. Psalm 28:6-9 (TLB)

Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life. Psalm 23:6 (TLB)

Linawati Santoso lives in East Java, Indonesia. One evening Linawati saw his sister writing notes in her phone. Curious, Linawati took a peek at what she was writing. It was a list of good things that had happened to her that day. His sister was counting God's blessings one by one. When Linawati asked her why, she answered, "So I can always be thankful to God."

Starting in January 2021, Linawati had many troubles - one blow after another. He was stressed, and as a result it was hard for him to be thankful to God. Then he remembered his sister's example to count God's blessings. So every night he tried to give thanks to God for at least one blessing. At first it was difficult. Linawati would wonder, What blessing did I receive today? But, day by day, Linawati came to realize that God's blessings were abundant. No longer was he stressed. He gave thanks to God and felt content.

In today's scripture reading, David celebrates God's presence in his life. Even though he faced many troubles, David knew God's goodness was with him every day. Life has many troubles, but it also has many blessings. We can give thanks to God always.

Prayer: Open our eyes, God, to the abundant blessings you give us every day of our life. May we always give thanks to you, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today I (Judith Christie) am thankful for: 1) waking up this morning; 2) Jesus loves me; 3) love of family and friends; 4) food on my table; 5) roof over my head; 6) Ability to move, drive, and care for myself; 7) Eyes to see the flowers, trees, butterflies, and all of God beautiful creation; 8) ears to hear the birds singing in the trees; 9) Jett; 10) freedom