There is an old hymn that says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings see what God has done, Count your blessings name them one by one, Count your many blessings see what God has done."
Have you taken time today and counted your blessings today? Have you stopped and griped and complained today?
Nowhere in the word of God does it say for us to grumble and complain about what is going on in our lives but rather to give thanks with a grateful heart. Oh that we could start counting our blessings and name them one by one.
I am grateful for the blessing of family, for my awesome children, and my most spectacular grandchildren. I am so grateful that God blessed me with a husband who loves me and cares for me. I am so grateful that he has a job and our needs are being met. I am so grateful for running water, for indoor plumbing, for my cell phone, for this computer. I am so blessed to have such awesome friends. Lord thank you for the blessing of sugar so that we can make candy corn and chocolate and all the good wonderful things like that. Thank you for the song in my heart, for the smile on my face. Thank you for the shoes and clothes that you have provided me with. Thank you that I have a car and even though it might not be much, thank you for the gas in it. I thank you for toothpaste and toothbrushes.
I know if you are reading this you are probably thinking those are some awfully silly things to be grateful for. Really? What about the orphan who doesn't have a family? What about the childless woman who longs for a child to hold? What about the lonely women out there who either don't have a husband and are searching in all the wrong places or they have one but he hasn't shown love to her in ages? What about the diabetic who can't have so many sweets any more? What about the depressed person who no longer smiles or has that song of victory in their heart? What about the poor who have no shoes, no clothes, or the one who has no feet? What about the person who has to take the bus everywhere or just walk? What about the toothless man who lost all of his teeth and can't afford dentures? Do you think this would be a silly list for any of them?
So really? Is there anything too big or too small that we can't be gratefull for?
I dare you to get a piece of paper and on one side list all the things that you think are unfair in your life. Ungrateful children, loveless marriage, bills...etc. Then on the other side of the page list all the things that God has blessed you with.
If you are a Christian at the top of your list should be the gift of salvation. How about peace? Got some joy unspeakable? How about His love that is richer and deeper than anything that you could have ever hoped for? How about freedom? How about knowing that He cares more for you than He does the flowers of the field? How about being grateful that He knows how many hairs are on your head? How about some gratitude for the fact that He sees every tear that falls, that He knows your heartache? How about being grateful for the fact that He knows your every need before you ask? How about some gratefulness for the hope of seeing Him face to face?
I know that I am so thankful and grateful for these things and so much more.
Start your own list. You have plenty to be grateful for.
If you want to get an idea of how unhappy it makes the Lord when we grumble and complain instead of being grateful, go back and look at the children of Israel. He had delivered them out of bondage, out of slavery, out of Egypt. Not only that but He had destroyed those that would have taken them back into captivity. He fed them every morning. He caused their clothes to not wear out. I mean, wow, a pair of shoes that never wore out after 40 years. Yet they grumbled and complained every step of the way. Those were some of my most tiring days when my children whined all day or grumbled about everything or complained just because they could. It drives you to the point of insanity.
Can you imagine how the Father felt when He heard all the complaining. I think He is probably the one who coined the phrase, "Oy vey!! Enough all ready." He'd had enough of their mumbling and grumbling and doubts. Those who had grumbled so loudly did not get to see the promised land. Read Numbers 14.
Joshua and Caleb had come back with a good report but there were other men that came back with a negative report. The people chose to believe them instead of Joshua and Caleb.
Do a word search on your own and see what the Word of God teaches about grumbling and complaining. But then do a word search and see what He says about being grateful, thankful. Read Psalm 103 and 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Give thanks with a grateful heart. I am sure you can find something to be thankful for. Shoot, you might even need two sheets of paper.
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