Countin’ Blessin’s Till Your Hands Open
Well, alright, friend, you’ve plum arrived like a soft, gentle rain on a dusty field bringin’ the kind of refreshment only God Himself can pour out. I’m mighty glad you wandered on up here today because we’re about to talk about something that’ll lift your heart higher than a grasshopper that just landed on a warm fence post. Psalm 103:2 says, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” And James 1:17 reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from above. Put those two together, and you begin to realize God has already been pourin’ blessin’s on you like a summer rain that refuses to quit.
We humans have a funny way of clutchin’ our resources like a lil’ ol’ squirrel that finally found the last acorn of winter. We say things like, “If I give what God nudged me to give, I won’t have anything left.” Friend, where do you think what you already have came from? Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “It is God who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” He’s the One who opened the doors, gave you the skills, and blessed the work of your hands. You didn’t pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. God is the One who handed you those boots.
David must’ve known how forgetful we can be because he wrote in Psalm 103:1-5 to list God’s benefits like a heavenly grocery receipt. He forgives every sin. He heals. He redeems your life from the pit. He crowns you with love and compassion. He satisfies your desires with good things. That there’s not small stuff. That there’s the real life-changin’, soul liftin’, heart steadyin’ goodness of God.
When you rehearse and list His benefits, your tightened fist starts loosenin’. When you remember His generosity, your generosity starts growin’. When you focus on what He has already done for you, withholdin’ feels about as silly as a lil’ ol’ rooster tryin’ to figure out a way to whisper.
Father, thank You for every blessing You have poured into my life. Teach me to remember Your goodness, trust Your provision, and give with a heart full of gratitude. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now, before this moment slips away like a firefly duckin’ behind a cedar tree, let me leave you with a truth worth holdin’ real close. Gratitude ain’t just about bein’ polite. It’s real powerful. It turns your eyes away from what you fear losin’ and fixes ‘em on the God who never stops givin’. As you step back into your daily routine, let your heart stay as open as a wide meadow at sunrise, ready to receive and ready to pour out. And as you walk with that kind of openness, you will find yourself discoverin’ again and again that generosity grows best in a soul that remembers the long trail of past blessin’s God has already laid on it. Now, why not go on out there and be a blessin’ to somebody else?
With joy,
Gwen
