"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." – Charles Dickens

Good morning, and welcome to this brand-new day, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. I mentioned before the great honor and privilege I had on July 11th of officiating the wedding of our granddaughter Kyleigh to her new husband, Taylor. The photo shows Kyleigh helping direct my signing of their marriage certificate. It was a memorable event and one that my wife and I will treasure as a blessing from the Lord. I was able to conduct that service because God enabled me to do so. He deserves to be recognized for the way He provides for each of us. In the book of Job, Chapter 34, we have the words preserved of a young man, Elihu, who essentially stood up for God as he confronted Job and his three friends. Essentially, he was concerned that in all the dialogue forth and back, God's honor and glory were not being preserved. Elihu challenged any intrusion into words that challenged God's character. He said this about the power of God: "God could decide to remove life from the world. He could take back his spirit and his breath. If he did that, everyone that is alive would die. As humans, we would become dirt again." (Job 34:14-15) This, I believe, is where we get the sense of the fear of the Lord. We worship an Awesome God. I cringe sometimes at how the word 'awesome' is thrown around and attached to every kind of thing or action. I say it again, we serve and worship an Awesome God. That ice cream may have been good, but there is no way it should be described as 'awesome'. I know. Some would call me legalistic or petty. That's okay. Take it as my opinion. As they say, if everything is awesome, then it follows that nothing can be distinguished as being truly awesome. This leads me to remind us all to do what the song says, 'Count Your Blessings'. 

 

Count Your Blessings

 

The classic sacred hymn "Count Your Blessings" was written in 1897 by American Methodist minister and insurance salesman Johnson Oatman, Jr. The uplifting musical tune was composed later that year by Edwin O. Excell.

 

1 When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

2 Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. [Refrain]

3 When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. [Refrain]

4 So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end. [Refrain]

Baptist Hymnal, 1991

 

I may be over the hill by many estimations, but I'm still learning, and one of the things I am working on is the sentiment found in that song: stop, consider, and thank God for His provisions and His blessings. I will be working on trying to realize what all these instructions from the Apostle Paul mean until I draw my last breath: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the Amplified Bible (AMP) reads: "Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." That's my assignment for today, tomorrow, and the rest of my life. What about you? Take care now, you hear? Amen.