If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways you may never even know.
by Stephen Eardley
As we awake each morning, we can be truly thankful for the many blessings we enjoy and often take for granted. Stephen Eardley, author of the above excerpt, recalls the blessings of our health, food, freedom, clothing, finances and education.
The Psalmist David frequently acknowledged God's blessings in his compilation of songs, the Psalms. There he proclaims the blessings of God's protection, guidance, provision, forgiveness of sins, deliverance, healing, peace and enlightenment.
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
Psalm 36: 7-9
It is inevitable that most of us will encounter hardship and sorrows common to our humanity at some point in our lives, yet we can rejoice in God's comfort and sustenance through those times. Those who truly seek God with all their hearts will be blessed!
Paul writes of spiritual blessing in Ephesians, which reminds Christians that we have more than just earthly blessings. Believers have the blessing of their sins forgiven and an eternal inheritance. We are recipients of God's grace, which is extended through His love to all who will receive it. With the indwelling Holy Spirit, God's will for mankind and the future is revealed (Ephesians 9-10). How blessed we are in Christ!
Perhaps we are all prone to bouts of self-pity when life presents trials. The best remedy, however, is to look outwards and upwards! Let us remember, God wants to bless us from His abundance.
Count your many blessings,
name them one by one,
and it will surprise you
what the Lord has done!
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
The Aaronic Blessing