2026 Lenten Season - Day 20 - To Silence Complaint

We continue the tradition of 40 days of Lent-related devotionals (46 counting the Sundays).
Sharing "Journey to the Cross" by Paul David Tripp.
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It is good to silence complaint in your life by sitting down and taking the time to count your blessings.

So many blessings, so many graces, so many gifts, so much love. There is no rational explanation; there is no human reason; there is no scientific formula; no evolutionary theory; no political machinations; no cultural privilege; no chance; no fate; nothing earned; nothing achieved; nothing deserved; no right; no entitlement; no family inheritance; no right of passage; no reward for work done; no prize for achievement; no deserved recognition.

There is a miracle operating here; there is amazing favor; there is unprecedented mercy; there is boundless love; there is only one explanation; there is but one rationale. Blood was shed outside the city walls, a perfect man with the criminal element nailed to a torture tree, hung there by those he made. No words of defense, no actions of resistance. Favored Son, now willing Sufferer, carrying the sin of multitudes. Mocked by onlookers, forsaken by the Father, willing Lamb, acceptable sacrifice, planned from eternity, accomplished in time, so we would know so many blessings, so many graces, so many gifts, so much love.

During this season when you are thinking about the hold that the world still has on you, when you’re confessing your struggle with sin, and when you’re focusing on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus that secured your hope in this life and the one to come, take time to count the many right-here, right-now blessings that the work of Jesus has delivered to you. You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but I will: it is more natural for sinners to complain than to give thanks. If you listen to yourself, you'll find that this is true. Our tendency to complain is one of the results of the selfishness of sin. Complaint reminds us that we keep sticking ourselves in the center of our worlds and making life all about us.

Gratitude is a powerful weapon against complaint. It is impossible to give thanks and complain at the same time. The more you spend time counting your blessings, the less time you’ll have to number your complaints. Complaint is a distorted and inaccurate way of looking at your life. For the child of God, a life of grumbling is the result of a factually inaccurate way of assessing life. It is factually inaccurate because it misses the ultimate facts of your existence: the intervention, operation, and generous blessings of God’s amazing grace. It focuses on what you don’t have and forgets the marvelous blessings that are yours that you could have never earned, achieved, or deserved in your own strength or based on your own performance. God’s grace unleashes into your life blessings that are too many to number. No matter what difficulties you are facing, they are outweighed by the storehouse of blessings that are yours in Christ Jesus.

So take time out of each day, if only for a few moments, to count your blessings. Buy a journal or open a Google Doc, and each day catalog the blessings in your life, from the smallest and most mundane to those that are huge and life-changing. Fight the battle with complaint by developing a day-by-day habit of gratitude. Begin counting your blessings, and watch how the practice begins to alter the way you look at your life. No one is more worthy of your praise than your generous, loving, faithful, wise, and gracious Savior.

Gratitude silences complaint.

GOING DEEPER
Reflection Questions

1. Looking at a typical day, what percentage of your time is spent grumbling and what percentage is spent giving thanks?

2. Why do you think it is so difficult for us to remember to give thanks? What practical things can you do to draw your heart away from complaining and toward praise?

3. Have you ever kept a gratitude journal? What benefits did this have—or could it have if you haven’t tried it yet—for you?

Read Psalm 103, and thank the Lord for his many blessings.

A psalm of David.

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things.My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. 15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here. 17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.

20 Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! 22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Promise for Today - Overwhelmingly Grateful

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; 
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 84:10-12 NKJV

Do we ever stop to think about all the day-to-day (often perceived as) the mundane activities of our lives? The things we take for granted simply because they are a part of our daily lives. 

How often do we stop and give God sincere thanks for running water, electricity, indoor bathrooms... We're more inclined to NOT notice unless they stop being accessible - and then, I don't think we're thanking anyone. We love and often adopt a sense of entitlement to what we consider our creature comforts. 

How dangerous it would be to our spiritual well-being if we were to adopt the same sense of entitlement to the gifts and blessings our Father has so graciously bestowed on us!

Prayer:

Father, 

           We pray according to Your Word in Colossians 2:7, Let our roots grow down into You, and let our lives be built on You, too. Help our faith to grow strong in Your Truth so that we will overflow with thankfulness. Give us clean hands and pure hearts, Father, hearts that are overwhelmingly grateful to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder to Try It

"I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love. I will praise the Lord for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love."
Isaiah 63:7 NLT

I don't know anyone who has to "work at" grumbling. We don't have to remind ourselves to do it. We don't have to make ourselves write it down so we don't forget. Do you ever wonder why it is that mumbling and grumbling are easier for our human nature than an attitude of gratitude?

It's an age-old dilemma. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Or is it as engineers would reason, "the glass is twice as big as it needs to be..." Instead of grumbling that you needed to buy all new tires, thank God you had the money to buy them. There was a time you wouldn't have been able to afford them.

Gratitude truly IS an attitude. It CAN be developed. It CAN be adjusted or changed. We just need to look at life through the filter of the Life-Giver. I've been thinking about that old song today that Bing Crosby sang, "Count Your Blessings." Technically, it's not a Christian praise song, but if you acknowledge that everything good comes from the Father (James 1:17), then counting your blessings IS praise. "When I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings. When my bankroll is getting small, I think of when I had none at all, and I fall asleep counting my blessings."

Try it...you'll like it!!

Prayer:

Father,
           I will tell of Your unfailing love. I will praise You for all You have done. I will rejoice in Your great goodness to me, which You have granted according to Your mercy and love. And when given half a chance, I will tell others. Grant me the opportunity, Father. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Lent - Day Thirty-Six - Abide

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5 

In these few verses (vvs 1-17), Jesus uses a single word 10 different times: “abide.” Is there really a good way to define this word? How do you tell someone what it means to abide? We might use other verbs like to sit, rest, be, dwell, live, or remain. At the same time, we realize that this word carries with it not just a state of being or an action we do, but this word also communicates blessings and benefits being given to us and worked in us. To abide means to be nourished, united, rooted, strengthened. This is why Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine. The branches are attached to the vine. That attachment translates into blessings flowing from vine to branch for its ongoing growth and sustaining. How do you separate one activity from the other? You cannot. That is abiding.

This is how God works in the lives of those washed and claimed in the name of Christ. It is a daily invitation to sit with Jesus, rest in Jesus, be with Jesus, live in Jesus, dwell with Jesus, remain in Jesus.

A busy life may seem to have little room for this “abiding.” But that just shows how important it is. In those times especially, we need his nourishing, strengthening, and sustaining presence. “Abide in me. Abide in my word. Abide in my love.” Jesus abides with us.

Prayer: 

Lord, 

         Thank You for covering me with Your protection and presence. Break through the noise and overwhelming pace of life to call me to find rest in You. As I abide in You, assure me that You enable me to do what You ask through Your living and life-giving word and spirit. Amen.

Reading Further - John 15:1-17

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Lent - Day Thirteen - Abundant Blessings: Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

 Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024 

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.

John 6:10-11

Regardless of how many times we have heard the story of the feeding of the five thousand, there are always new lessons we can learn. Maybe the first is to be reminded that God is the giver of all good things, and that we can always trust that our Lord will provide.

We often forget how much we really have in life. (Which is odd when we consider that the average American ranks somewhere in the top 1-10% of accumulated wealth in the world.) We find ways to complain or feel discouraged, get caught up in only seeing the things we don’t have, or envying how much more others have. Having so much can easily lead to thankless hearts and little desire or need for God. Of course, for those who lack basic needs, life can be consumed with fear and worry for the next meal, clean water, safety, or health. This lack can create bitterness, a broken spirit, or lack of trust in God or his word.

Because of this, our Lord calls us to a better way. He teaches us to rely on him, trust him in every need, and learn to be content with what he daily provides. Christ would neither have us fret, nor be filled with greed (no matter how much or little we have), but rather trust in him to sustain us according to his pleasure. He would have us see that we are poor and possess nothing except what he gives, and desires that we would be generous toward the needs of others.

Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, 

                Thank You for all the gifts You provide and for all those whose work or presence bring Your blessings to me. Since You have been abundantly generous to me, help me to be generous to the needs of others. Amen.

Reading Further - John 6:1-15

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

In Awe of God's Yes

Psalm 128 The Message - A Reward for Faithfulness

All you who fear God, how blessed you are!
How happily you walk on his smooth straight road!
You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming.
Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!

Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes,
your household lush as a vineyard,
The children around your table
as fresh and promising as young olive shoots.
Stand in awe of God’s Yes.
Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!

Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem every day of your life.
And enjoy your grandchildren.
Peace to Israel!

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for the times we forget ALL of Your goodness to us. Keep us ever mindful for we are forever grateful. Give us thankful hearts, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Lay Up Your Treasure...

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
Isaiah 32:8 NLT

I was reminded of this tonight and wanted to share it again. It's a great story of God's blessings and rewards for a generous heart. 

I had lunch with an old friend who I hadn't seen in awhile. We tried to catch up on everything we could, talking non-stop in an extended lunch visit. It was good. My friend told me an amazing story of how their extended family had been lost from them for more than 40 years, and over the years, they had tried to find them without success - but how they were finally able to search out the cousins, the offspring of an aunt who had always been very kind and very generous. I could see love's glow remembered in my friend's eyes and I could tell just how loving the woman had been. It was a wonderful story to hear and I was very excited at all the good news of it.

The cousin who was first found later went to her sibling and said, "You will never guess who called me." To her shock, her brother said my friend's name without hesitation... keeping in mind, it had been 40 years. When asked how he knew, he replied that his cousin had been on his mind for a couple weeks... the same amount of time my friend had been searching this last time around! God has such a sweet way of answering the desires of our hearts.

We talked the rest of the time about all their plans to reunite face to face and as we were standing in the parking lot saying goodbye, my friend said, "Before we go, I want to tell you one more thing about my aunt..."  

It turns out that the aunt and cousins were very poor when they were all growing up, but it never stopped them from giving to others. The woman's life personified generous hospitality, with the emphasis on generous. The daughter of the amazing woman told this story. Her mother used to go to the grocery store and pick up the wooden fruit crates from the trash bin in back. She would then take them home, break them down, and tie them in bundles to sell for firewood to have money to buy coal to heat their home. One Christmas, the woman worked twice as hard to get enough money - not for toys for her children - but to get enough to buy an extra load of coal.

When the coal cart driver came, she pressed that money into his hand and said, "I want you to use this to buy coal for the poorest family on your route. I can't bear to think of anyone being cold on Christmas."

The driver was overcome by emotion and tried to hand back the money, but she insisted. Finally, when he could speak through his tears, he replied, "Missus, you are my poorest family..."

Poorest by the world's standards, but richest in the eyes of God.

Today, all three of her children are very successful in their careers of choice (which involve helping others in one form or another) and all are able to travel to different parts of the world. God's Word has much to say about those who are generous in spirit. Don't you just love it?

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for orchestrating such a wonderful reunion for my friend! Such a loving and generous thing for You to do!! Lord, change our hearts and cause us to be more like You! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Redirect Our Focus

From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.
John 1:16 NLT

We all get so busy that we forget things. Some things we need to forget, but I don't want to forget the good things - the blessings of life. I don't know about you, but I can get caught up in life and unconsciously forget about giving thanks for not only the so-called extraordinary things God has done for me but for the DAILY benefits He provides. The enemy of our soul works overtime to distract us, to take our eyes off the goodness of God. We don't ever want to take Him for granted.

Today, my daughter and I had a deliberate conversation about the blessings of God in just the last year and ten months. After a couple minutes, it just flowed into a natural praise gathering and the more we acknowledged God's blessings, the even more we remembered and reminded each other of them and gave thanks. We were mutually encouraged and came away with a God perspective rather than a navel-gazing view of life. That is always a good thing!

When you are distracted by the stresses of life - such as chronic pain, grief, a broken heart, a wayward loved one - it is easy to lose focus on our Saviour and ALL He has done, is doing, and will do for us. Let's consciously redirect our focus on Him with very grateful hearts.

Prayer:

Father, 
           The words in Psalm 103 say it so well. Let all that I am praise You Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise Your holy name. Let all that I am praise You Lord; may I never forget the good things You do for me. You forgive all my sins and heal all my diseases. You redeem me from death and crown me with love and tender mercies. You fill my life with good things. Help us to never forget. Give us clean hands and a pure and grateful heart. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

No End in Sight

I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.

Psalm 37:25-26 NKJV

When you make the choice to become a Christ-follower, you enable the generations after you to walk in the blessing(s) God has bestowed on you. When God blesses YOU, it doesn't end with you. The blessing is on you, and your children and your grandchildren and great-grandchildren and so on and so forth.

God's Word is without end. Your descendants will not be beggars. They will not go hungry. Your descendants will be blessed - it doesn't matter how many generations come afterward. There's no end date on that promise!

Prayer:

Father,

         We pray Your Word, confessing what we believe - Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God! And we thank You for it, in Jesus' Name. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Looking for Blessings

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord.  And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

I am always driven to these 2 verses when things happen or are happening that I can't understand. Used to be, I would rant and rail at God, explaining to Him all the reasons those things shouldn't be happening and touting what I believed would be a better plan (usually mine...) Thank God, I've finally come to the place that I believe whatever God does is ultimately for our good. Whatever He allows to touch our lives is there to help us grow in faith and love and trust.

I've been sitting here, trying to find the right words to convey the depth of His love in these two verses, but all I keep hearing is Laura Story's song titled Blessings. So that's what I'm sending along. I've included the link, or you can copy and paste it. I've also included the lyrics.  Open your heart to the Lord and let this song wash over your spirit.

This is NOT a message of apologetics. It's about a God who doesn't have to explain Himself but does anyway, because of His great love for us. The question is, can we understand Him?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ&feature=related

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not - this is not our home

Not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Prayer:

Father,

          We love You and we trust You. Use whatever it takes to get our attention and keep it on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Repeat Reminder!

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord.  And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

I am always driven to these 2 verses when things happen or are happening that I can't understand. Used to be, I would rant and rail at God, explaining to Him all the reasons those things shouldn't be happening and touting what I believed would be a better plan (usually mine...) Thank God, I've finally come to the place that I believe whatever God does is ultimately for our good. Whatever He allows to touch our lives is there to help us grow in faith and love and trust.

I've been sitting here, trying to find the right words to convey the depth of His love in these two verses, but all I keep hearing is Laura Story's song called  Blessings. So that's what I'm sending along. I've included the link, or you can copy and paste it. I've also included the lyrics. Open your heart to the Lord and let this song wash over your spirit.

This is NOT a message of apologetics. It's about a God who doesn't have to explain Himself, but does anyway, because of His great love for us. The question is, can we understand Him?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ&feature=related

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not - this is not our home

It's not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Prayer:

Father,

          We love You and we trust You. Use whatever it takes to get our attention and keep it on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In All Your Ways

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

We all like a little recognition now and then for a job well done or for going the extra mile or doing something special. It’s not why we do the things we do, or at least it’s not supposed to be, but have you ever noticed that satan will come in with his little jabs, such as Why do you do that? They’re just taking advantage of you. Or something equally as ugly. Sometimes it’s an errant thought passing through your mind. Sometimes it’s satan trying to imitate God (Numbers 22:28) by using another donkey (two-legged, usually) to talk to you; but it’s all for the same reason – to try to keep us from doing what God has taught us to do…prefer one another in love (Romans 12:10 KJV).

God continues to teach me to acknowledge Him in everything – to recognize His touch in my daily living, both large and small. I’m getting better at it, although I lose sight of it sometimes. It’s all in conditioning myself to look for Him and training my eyes and heart to see. You might think with the world flying at us in breakneck speed from so many different angles, how could we possibly condition ourselves? How do we train our eyes and hearts to see?  It’s quite simple actually. You just have to know what to look for. Don’t roll your eyes…

Think about this. It’s all about the relationship. Think of someone in your life who you really care for. Would you know them anywhere? Do you know their walk? Without seeing them, do you know their voice? If you know someone well enough, you can hear footsteps and know who it is. You can hear a cough and know who’s coughing. 

How about this? Before the world became so infected with being politically correct, luxury cars were quite distinctive. You could spot a Jaguar a mile away. Mercedes, BMWs, Lincolns, Cadillacs. Why, even the lowly Nash Rambler and Corvair couldn’t be confused with anything else, because nothing had their distinctive shape. Or did you ever play 'Slug Bug?' Maybe you called it 'Punch Buggy.' Looking for VW Beetles and smacking whoever was playing with you when you spotted one first and called it? You knew what to look for then, didn’t you? 

James 1 tells us that every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights. There is a distinctive mark on those. Some are very easy to see – the raise or promotion at work. The car that does NOT break down. You stay healthy while everyone else is catching something. The IRS actually INCREASES your refund. (Don’t laugh – it happened to me before.)  Some may be a little less obvious. The car DOES break down, but you actually have the money to pay for it to be fixed because of some mandatory overtime or a “surprise” blessing you got in the mail. The tires that are on sale just when you need new tires. The friend of a friend who will come put Freon in your air conditioning unit because they owed your friend a favor and your friend wanted you to receive it. That’s all God’s touch.

Harder ones to immediately recognize might be that accident that did NOT happen when the 2 trucks in front of you almost collided with each other as you were driving 65 mph down the road directly behind them. Or something like losing a job that you love through no fault of your own, but while you’re out of work, you learn how to fully trust God as your source. How about when you’ve given a repeat performance of messing up - yet again­ -  and you don’t even know how God can forgive you, let alone not be mad at you? But the next morning, you get a sweet note from someone who acknowledges the evidence of God’s gift in your life even though they’ve never mentioned it before and you've known them a long time. Can you recognize Him now?  Then give Him the recognition and praise He deserves. Better late than never.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Prayer:

Father,
            Forgive us for all the times we failed to recognize Your acts of love and care. Give us Your understanding, Lord. We want to acknowledge You in all our ways because we need You to direct our every step. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Looking for Blessings +

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord.  And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

I am always driven to these 2 verses when things happen or are happening that I can't understand. Used to be, I would rant and rail at God, explaining to Him all the reasons those things shouldn't be happening and touting what I believed would be a better plan. Oh, foolish, foolish person! Thank God, I've finally come to the place where I believe whatever God does is ultimately for our good. Whatever He allows to touch our lives is there to help us grow in faith and love and trust.

I've been sitting here, trying to find the right words to convey the depth of His love in these two verses, but all I keep hearing is Laura Story's new song called Blessings. So that's what I'm sending along. I've included the link, or you can copy and paste it. I've also included the lyrics.  Open your heart to the Lord and let this song wash over your spirit.

This is NOT a message of apologetics. It's about a God who doesn't have to explain Himself, but does anyway, because of His great love for us. The question is, can we understand Him?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ&feature=related

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not - this is not our home

Not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Prayer:

Father,

          We love You and we trust You. Use whatever it takes to get our attention and keep it on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Try It

I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love. I will praise the Lord for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love.
Isaiah 63:7 NLT

I don't know of anyone who has to "work at" grumbling. We don't have to remind ourselves to do it. We don't have to make ourselves write it down so we don't forget. Do you ever wonder why it is that mumbling and grumbling are easier for our human nature than an attitude of gratitude? 

It's an age-old dilemma. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Or is it as engineers would reason, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be... Instead of grumbling that you needed to buy all new tires, thank God you had the money to buy them. There was a time you wouldn't have been able to afford them...

Gratitude truly IS an attitude. It CAN be developed. It CAN be adjusted or changed. We just need to look at life through the filter of the Life Giver.  I've been thinking about that old song today that Bing Crosby sang, "Count Your Blessings." Technically, it's not a Christian praise song, but then if you acknowledge that everything good comes from the Father (James 1:17), then counting your blessings IS praise. When I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings. When my bankroll is getting small, I think of when I had none at all, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

Try it...you'll like it...

Prayer:

Father,

          I will tell of Your unfailing love. I will praise You for all You have done. I will rejoice in Your great goodness to me, which You have granted according to Your mercy and love. And when given half a chance, I will tell others. Grant me the opportunity, Father. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen