Jump Start # 3165
Proverbs 10:6 “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”
It was a Sunday evening worship service. One of the members offered an opening prayer. Very normal, except for one line that he said in that prayer. He thanked the Lord for our “Recent Blessings.” Recent blessings. Just the way he said that stuck with me. We know about blessings. We count them one by one, as the hymns goes. But often when we think about blessings, we are reaching back into our past. Recent blessings—that’s something to think about.
First, it recognizes that God is still active in our lives. How do you know that? Recent blessings. Recent, even today. The tap of blessings did not shut off after our salvation. God continues to open doors, forgive sins, connect people and as our passage today says, “blessings are on the head of the righteous.”
There are days when those valleys of the shadow of death sure seem long and dark. There are times when the silence to our prayers can make one feel that he is all alone. There are times with the needs, concerns and worries fill our prayers. But recent blessings reminds us that God is still there. Recent blessings tells us that God has not forgotten us. Recent blessings bring encouragement, hope and strength to the weary soul. God sure has been good to us. So many blessings. So many gifts from Heaven.
Second, recent blessings come in many forms. An encouraging call from someone you haven’t heard from in a long while, sure can be a recent blessing. Worship certainly is a recent blessing. We do it so often that we can take it for granted, but let’s not do that. The joy of singing praises with others, the power and passion of wonderful preaching, the strength in seeing others who desire to walk with the Lord, such wonderful blessings.
Sharing truths, insights with others in a Bible class is a wonderful blessing. These things build faith and they help us in our walk with the Lord. The blessings of a wonderful congregation. The blessings of seeing senior saints and hearing the cry of little babies. The blessings of shepherds who love and care for us. The blessings of gifted preachers who pour their hearts out to help us know the Lord. So many spiritual tools available. So many friendships in the Lord. Recent blessings.
Third, rain when it has been dry, and dryness when it has been rainy are recent blessings of the Lord. Health, a good mind, a day filled with good deeds are all wonderful blessings. The opportunity to let your light shine and days when we have put the devil on the run are great blessings. Even this very day is a gift from the Lord. We can use this day to the glory of God or we can waste the time the Lord has given us, but it is a gift and a blessing.
Fourth, recent blessings make us thankful. Open your eyes and look around and see all the wonderful things the Lord has done. We certainly live in complaining times. People complain about the weather, the traffic, politics, prices, and even in church services, there are those who find things to complain about. But the one who is seeing recent blessings has a heart so filled with thankfulness and joy that he doesn’t let these other things bother him. The thankful heart is not a complaining heart. The thankful heart sees what the complainer never does. The thankful heart appreciates and glorifies the God who is so generous.
Recent blessings—you have some. I have some. Maybe this would be a great way to begin the day, by seeing what new blessings, recent blessings have come your way.
Our God is so good…
Roger