Blessed

Friday, August 1, 2014

 

 

"I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."      Psalm 13:6

 

 

     A while back I read this verse, and it became more of a challenge for me than a praise.  In fact, my immediate response shocked me.  My first inward reaction to the truth in this verse was "Yes, I guess He has, especially compared to 'so and so.'"  "Yes, I guess I am blessed, since this didn't happen to me, like it did to 'so and so.'" 

   

     When I realized where my thought pattern was leading me I forced myself to come to an abrupt halt.  What in the world was I doing?  And was this always my response to the truth that God has blessed me?  The deeper I dug I saw that, unfortunately, this was my typical response.

    

      Why?  Why do I have to compare myself with others to feel truly blessed?  Why don't I feel like He has dealt bountifully with me unless I mull over the trials others are going through?  What it all comes down to, really, is that I have an extremely inadequate understanding of God's grace.  I always have.

 

       Since I was little grace was defined to me as "God giving us what we do not deserve."  What do we deserve, anyway?  Death.  Separation from Him for all eternity.  Sounds a little harsh, huh?  Overwhelming?  Yeah, I thought so, too...probably because it is, for our human minds.  So I always chose not to give it too much thought, 'cause, well, it didn't apply to me, anyway.  I was one of His.  I didn't have to worry about all that stuff that could have happened to me.  I was safe.

 

       That's where I went wrong.  By choosing not to think about where I'd been, where I'd come from, what I did deserve, I'd become calloused to His gifts, undervaluing His blessings.  I didn't recognize His blessings because I didn't understand His grace.  I thought I had to compare myself to others in order to feel blessed.  But God doesn't tell me to "feel" blessed.  He says I am blessed.

 

        So I sat down and began compiling a list of my blessings.  Something I should have gotten around to doing long before now.  It's a long list, and still growing.  I think of more every day.  But you know what?  Even if my list wasn't long, even if it wasn't even a list...even if it only had this one thing: Jesus died for me...as my pastor always used to say: that would be reason enough to praise Him for all eternity.

 

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

 

        That is grace.  I am blessed.