Open Heavens Devotional October 5 2021 – Counting Your Blessings

MEMORISE:

Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. Psalm 135:3

READ: Psalm 103:1-5

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

MESSAGE:

Ingratitude is dangerous, particularly when it is directly shown against the Almighty God. There are many things we enjoy from God’s benevolence, but we often take them for granted. At a point when David seemed to be forgetful of the goodness of the Lord, he decided to preach to his soul, according to the Bible reading of today.

“ Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” Psalm 103:1-2

In today’s text, David took some time to list the blessing of God upon his life so that he would not overlook any of them. The first thing he mentioned is the benefit of forgiveness he enjoyed from the Holy One of Israel. One wonders if modern day Christians appreciate the blessing of forgiveness like David did.

Another blessing David listed in his collections of God’s benefits is divine healing. How often do we take time to really appreciate God for our health and wellbeing? How well do we thank Him whenever He heals us? There are numerous sickness and diseases for which there is no known cure. Do we even remember to thank God for medication that works when we take it?

May the Lord grant you divine health, which is far superior to healing, in the mighty name of Jesus. However, we must remember the words of the Lord to the Syrophoenician woman:

“…it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.” Mark 7:27

In other words, before we can have access to divine health or at least divine healing- which are some of the benefits of being part of God’s kingdom, we must first become born again (John 3:3). For those of us who are children of God, we must not take God’s grace and blessings for granted because we cannot remain in sin and expect grace to abound (Romans 6:1). Let us show our appreciation by leaving for Him alone and by glorifying Him in our bodies as Paul enjoined us in Romans 12:1-2. Furthermore, the Bible in Deuteronomy 6:12 urges us not to forget all what the Lord has done for us.

Make a habit of counting your blessings and testifying to God’s goodness at all times.

ACTION POINT:

Take time to make a list of all God’s blessings upon your life and give Him thanks from the bottom of your heart for each of them

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 15-19.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 31: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD.

1. Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;

Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

2. Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,

With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;

And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;

And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!

3. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,

The Son, and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven—

The one eternal God, Whom earth and Heav’n adore;

For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.