“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
James 1:17 (ESV)
We all have had those days where stuff adds up and so convolutes the day that you just feel like the world is all on your shoulders. At that moment, the last thing that we often do is remember just how good we have it. We often forget how many awesome blessings that we have in our lives!
Let’s pause and ponder on the call to remember blessings that are found in scriptures like Ephesians 5:20 and Psalm 102:3. It is fascinating how we often overlook them, right?
I would like for us to consider reasons for the “Who, How and Why,” we often overlook the numerous wonderful blessings that God has given us! Once we reflect on that and gain a deeper understanding of our challenges, we can then shift our attention to scripture teachings about “Remembering Our Blessings!”
In this section of our chapter, we will focus on:
- Who Causes Us to forget?
- How Do We Forget?
- Why do we forget?
Who Causes Us to Forget?
As mentioned earlier, the “Who” in this scenario is indeed the devil! We discussed how his aim is to disrupt our relationship with Christ, hinder our ability to be a witness, and impact our testimony to others. But why does he do it? Well, it’s because he knows he can’t claim our souls. We firmly believe that once we are saved, we are always saved. (John 10:27-29) Since the devil can’t snatch our salvation from Christ, his only option is to prevent us from having a close walk with Him. Additionally, he desires to hinder our ability to share the message of Christ and lead others to Him. Lastly, if he can divert our attention from Christ’s desires and distract us, we will inadvertently provide a negative testimony for Christ, which is his ultimate goal.
How Do We Forget?
So, what are the ways in which our adversary, the devil, distracts us and makes us forget about our many blessings? Personally, I believe that he uses various distractions in our everyday lives. This is why we started studying this chapter on distractions. Just think about it, if he can make you focus less on the goodness of God and instead worry about things like a driver who cuts you off on the road or a pile of bills that you’re unsure how to pay, then he has successfully diverted your attention away from God and onto your problems. This means that you’re not fully trusting Him! And let’s not forget about the other distractions as well.
Why Do We Forget?
One reason we often forget about the gracious blessing of our savior is because we become too self-centered. I strongly disagree with the old saying “If I don’t take care of me, then who will?” It’s a deceptive lie from the devil. All these distractions are rooted in our own egos and desires, diverting our affections away from what God truly desires for us. As mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” We must always be on the guard and ready to refute the devil and his demons! They are well aware of our weaknesses and how to exploit them. They know that if they can get us to focus on self-gratification, it becomes easier to distract us from our Savior. The best way to be on guard is to be in a state of submission to the Holy Spirit and as the attacks begin, remembering to refute the devil just as Christ did when He was tempted – by quoting scripture! James 4:7 is a perfect verse to make the enemy leave us. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”
Remembering Our Blessings
With an understanding of how we tend to forget our blessings, let’s focus on how we can remember our blessings. Christ’s desire is to always remember the source of our blessings and the reasons behind them. I have a suggestion or a “How To” idea that can assist us in getting started.
When I take a moment to contemplate all the things that God has graciously given me, it becomes evident just how abundantly blessed I am! Most importantly the gift of the Salvation He has freely given me is the greatest blessing I could ever have been given. Every time I jot down or contemplate blessings, I am continuously reminded of how amazing God is, and the more the list grows! Take a moment to pause and reflect on the countless blessings that God is bestowing upon you. Why not grab your notepad or a piece of paper and jot down a few things – maybe just one or two – where you feel God’s blessings in your life. I encourage you to set this book aside for now and focus on this task. Once you have completed it, you can return to where you left off in this chapter and contemplate the insights we have discussed.
Jot Down Your Blessings Separately and Then Return Here
As you started to reflect just now, were you amazed at the generosity of what He has done for you? I know that as I start to think about these things, I begin to realize that it is so much more than I at first thought! That’s the Holy Spirit talking to you directly, another blessing in itself! You can see now, just how many blessings we have and so many blessing in which to be grateful to God.
I would like to take this moment to talk about habits that I follow to prepare in remembering God’s blessings!
The first thing I do is to start by getting on my knees before God, thanking Him for each blessing and naming them one by one and asking for His protection.
Secondly, as anxiety and stress come upon my life and I see the events of the day starting to build up on me, that’s when I remember that God is in control. I ask God to immediately bring one thing to my mind that He has done, and I thank Him, praise Him and honor Him for that! You see by doing that, I have broken the routine of the attack on me and recognize it as an attack of the devil.
Thirdly, I share what has happened with a trusted believer, testifying how God has blessed me!
I encourage you, my friend, to share the story of how God rescued you to a trusted fellow believer. You can write it down and send it to them or share it with a phone call! I encourage to have a burden to find any means possible to share how God delivered you from the challenges caused by the devil’s attacks. Share how He granted you a vision to follow Christ, reminding yourself of what He has done for you, and as a result, you were able to firmly resist the devil. Remember to keep James 4:7 in mind, which I just shared with you! Claim it, Declare it, and Trust it!
Finally, in my personal life, whenever I encounter challenging situations or feel overwhelmed, I make it a point to express gratitude to God for even the smallest blessings. I often pray during these attacks; “God, all the glory belongs to you! The devil has been defeated, and I resist him in your name. I have faith that he will flee from me because the scriptures assure me so. Father, I surrender my life to you during this difficult time I’m facing.” And you know what? It always works! Do you want to know why it always works? It’s because God never fails us. He never abandons us. He is always by our side; we just need to trust Him. So, let’s express our gratitude, knowing that He has never forsaken us and never will. In fact, in Matthew 28:20, He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. As His children, we are truly blessed because He deeply cares for us.
As a reflection on remembering blessings, I often think on the old hymn 1“Count your many blessings”. I love the 2nd verse which reads:
“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.”
The chorus sums up perfectly our proper response to remembering our blessings as commanded by Jesus:
“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.”
1Author: Johnson Oatman, Jr (1897)
Music: “Blessings” by Edwin O Excell 1851 – 1921
Arranged by: Evelyn Simpson-Cureton 1953
Note: This blog post is from a book I am helping write titled: “How to live the commands of Jesus”. It is written primarily by Larry M Wills (my dad), and I’m helping him in some of the chapters. We hope to have it published this summer of 2024. I’ll post the information on my blog when it’s available. Mike W
J Mike Wills 