Thankful

If you were raised in church “back in the day,” chances are you grew up singing the old hymn Count Your Blessings. Do you recall the repetitive line in the chorus? “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done!”

A few years ago, I read a great book by Ann Voskamp entitled One Thousand Gifts, in which she set out to do just that! I took her up on this challenge, and as I counted my blessings, I was amazed by the blessings of God. Consequently, the “blessings” are all found in the gift of Jesus, which changes one’s perspective in all things.

The old hymn provides perspective. It begins by mentioning the struggles and calamities of life. “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 has done.” As I began counting my blessings, from the smallest to the largest, I found myself quoting scripture and thinking about the grace of God. And, as I will do briefly in this blog, quoting CCM songs!

I was reminded of gifts of love and life that I am privileged to experience, even amid life’s trials. The unrivaled beauty of grace is that it is underserved and unmerited and that God in His love for His children blesses us with His Son! In Christ, we all have something for which to be thankful!

Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” In our anxieties, we lay it all at the foot of the cross, lift our hearts to the Lord, thank him for who He is and what He has done, and He will change our perspective. True peace and thankfulness are rooted in knowing Christ! My prayer this Thanksgiving is you recognize that place of peace and joy and be thankful in His grace, for in Christ, you have been richly blessed.

I am thankful that I am incapable of doing any good on my own. I am saved by grace through faith alone.

I am thankful that I know my Place in this World. It is in Christ, and he leads and guides me.

I am thankful that when I Stumble and Fall, that Jesus is there to pick me up.

I am thankful that His Mercies Are New Every Morning.

I am thankful that no matter what my perception may be, God is in Control.

I am thankful to be Crucified with Christ and that now Jesus is my very life!

I am thankful that I get to “saddle up my horses” and live life blazing the trail of God’s amazing grace!

I am thankful that there is a New Way to Be Human, and it is by trusting in Jesus as He changes us from the inside out.

I am thankful for the truth that there is Another Time, Another Place, where my hopes and dreams will be captured with one look at Jesus’ face!

Start your list. Once you start, you might just be amazed by the blessings of God in your life. As I count my blessings, I’m most thankful for the gift of grace. I’m thankful that I get to live life loved by my Heavenly Father. And I’m thankful that God does not just give us grace at salvation, but grace throughout the Christian life! He provides illuminating grace that helps us understand that we don’t just give Jesus our lives, but by the blood of the cross, and through His resurrection, by faith, He comes to live in us! The King of the universe is living in me! (Colossians 1:27) If He is alive in you, you share in the same blessing.

“Count your blessings, name them one by one! And it will surprise you what the Lord has done!”

Happy Thanksgiving!