Numbers 28:2, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God..”
Introduction:
Sometimes we need to stop and take inventory of all that God has done for us. Many people don’t appreciate God because they don’t realize all He’s given them. A songwriter once wrote, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!”
1. Count Your Blessings (Material)
Have you ever gone through your house and thanked God for everything in it? Have you ever thanked God for your washer, refrigerator, hot water tank (ever taken a cold shower?!) telephone, gas, electric, roof, driveway, car?
I estimate that in my 26 years of marriage, my wife has made me 28,470 meals! She has made our bed 9,490 times. She has done 4,056 loads of laundry. This inventory makes me appreciate her more!
It’s the same with God - the more you realize He does for you, the more you will appreciate him.
2. Count Your Breaths (Physical)
The Apostle Paul once said, “He [God] giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;” (Acts 17:25).
The average human breathes 12 times per minute. That’s about 17,280 times per day, or 120,960 times per week. An 80-year-old person has breathed over half a billion times! Each one of those was a gift from God. Imagine if He decided to stop blessing you with air for just a few minutes. You’d die!
Paul went on to say, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being;” (Acts 17:28). It is because of God that you are able to live today. Have you thanked Him for this?
3. Count Your Benefits (Spiritual)
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” (Psalm 68:19).
A benefit is something that helps or betters a person. For example: a person who belongs to a union will receive benefits that non-members of that union cannot avail themselves of.
By being a member of God’s family, there are certain benefits we have that people who are not God’s children cannot claim. Let’s look at a few of these:
A. We can understand the Scriptures.
It is difficult for unbelievers to understand the Bible. But if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, He will help you understand the wonderful Book He wrote.
Do you read God’s Holy Bible? If not, you are missing out on a benefit from God!
B. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of you! He wants to help you in every situation you face, if you will let Him.
C. We have access to Heaven by prayer.
Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
God doesn’t have to answer the prayers of unsaved people. But He has promised to answer the prayers of His children.
D. We have a Heavenly Father who cares about us.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Psalm 35:27 says “Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” God wants you to prosper!
E. We will live with God forever.
If you are going through a rough time in your life, remember: our future is bright and glorious.
Conclusion:
If you will count your blessings, you’ll see they far outweigh the heartaches and hardships in your life. Everyday can be Thanksgiving for the believer in Jesus!
