Considering Blessings

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 28:1-2

We’ve just celebrated Christmas, which probably included the exchange of gifts with family and friends. Many of us received thoughtful presents, but we may also have gotten items that we weren’t pleased with. It may have been a piece of clothing that just isn’t our style. Or maybe it was a small appliance that we asked for, but it just wasn’t the exact type we wanted. Why is it we’re so hard to please?  Shouldn’t we be happy to have been remembered with a gift? Any present is a blessing because it means another person thought enough of us to take their time to select the gift. 

As we begin a new year and ponder resolutions to make changes, it’s a good time to consider our blessings. It’s easy to count those blessings: a home, a car (or two), other material goods, family, friends. 

But how often do we consider the more intangible blessings we have been given:  the opportunity to have a relationship with our God and his son, Jesus Christ, and to always be guided by the Holy Spirit? The scripture tells us that we will be blessed if we obey the Lord our God. I don’t imagine that God is pleased with us when we complain about our Christmas gifts or wish we had received something different. 

When we actually consider all the blessings we’ve been given, it can be overwhelming. We may not feel we deserve them. But if we obey our God, we will receive them.  

Prayer: Dearest Lord, our words seem inadequate to thank you for the blessings you have given us. Forgive us for complaining about all we have and for wanting more. Help us to focus on obeying you and appreciating all we have throughout the new year. 

Robin Hadfield