“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him, all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” (Lyrics composed by Thomas Ken in 1674)
Imagine a conversation between two friends, people like you and I who are facing the challenges of, let me use the new highlighted term, affordability. Both of these individuals engaging in a brief dialogue are Christians, and they have both professed to trust in the Lord. They have something else in common. Both of these individuals are living from paycheck to paycheck. However, they expressed two different views on their financial situation.
One of the individual initiates the conversation by saying, “I am barely making it, paycheck to paycheck.” The other individual says, “Don’t think of the “barely,” but think about the blessing.” The individual that focused on the “barely,” asks, “What are you talking about?” The second individual responds: “You have a paycheck, and that’s a blessing.” “You have another paycheck coming, and that’s a blessing.” “You are making it, and that’s a blessing.” The initiator of the discussion says, “Let me ponder on what you just said.” The other individual quickly responds in an empathetic tone, “Sometimes it is difficult for us to see our blessings.”
Years ago, back in the 1990’s, I wrote a book that focused just on that very subject. The chapter was called, “Why Can’t You See Your Blessings?”
Now, it’s your time to ponder. Maybe the scriptures below will be helpful and I’m sure insightful and reassuring. Have a great day! Be blessed!
Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-33 NIV)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
Both views are applicable to the situation. Just as you stated, focus on our blessing. The fact that we woke up this morning is a blessing. Nothing else matters. God is in control.
Thank you for always taking time to digest the meditations and the scriptural truth you find in them. Be blessed!