Taking Inventory - Giving Thanks

 

Summer is here in Texas! Along with it comes hot days and for those of us who are a little older, we tend to take refuge around the air conditioner especially during the warmest time of the day. Windy days have also been unusually common this year. These conditions require higher doses of water on yards and gardens, governed with restrictions on watering due to the continuing drought we find ourselves in, not to mention the extra electricity it takes to be comfortable. Additional concerns include above average prices for food, gasoline and diesel, the possibilities of being laid off from jobs, as well as out-of-sight feed and fertilizer prices for those who ranch and farm. Many think, “Is there anything out there that is not taxable?” as they attempt to stretch their dollars to cover the extra expenses. It is always good, especially now, to remember to count our blessings.

Daniel Defoe gave some good advice through his fictional character Robinson Crusoe. The first thing Crusoe did when he found himself on a deserted island was to make out a list. On one side of the page, he wrote down all his problems. On the other side of the page, he listed all his blessings. On one side he wrote: I don’t have any clothes. Across from this he wrote: But it’s warm and I don’t really need any. On the left side he wrote: All of the provisions were lost. Across the page he wrote: But there’s plenty of fresh fruit and water on the island. And on down the list he went. In this fashion he discovered that for every negative aspect of his situation, there was a positive aspect, something to be thankful for. Are you on an island of despair? Perhaps it’s time to sit down and take an inventory of your blessings. Some of us may be long overdue expressing our thanks to God for what we have.

[Psalm 100:4-5] “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”

“So amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end… Count your many blessings, name them one by one… see what God hath done;” Count Your Blessings by Johnson Oatman. Let each of us be very thankful for the Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit who take care of their children every minute of every day.

Many songs give Christian’s peace and comfort. “No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you;” God Will Take Care Of You by C.D. Martin. Among her hundreds of songs, Fanny Crosby penned, Blessed Assurance. “Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blest; Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love.”

Because He Lives by William Gaither: “God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal, and forgive; He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives, Because he lives I can face tomorrow, Because He lives all fear is gone; Because I know he holds the future, And life is worth the living just because he lives.” Oh, life is good for those who worship our master, the one who calmed the sea!

[Hebrews 10:22-23] “…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Take an inventory of your blessings today, give thanks to God for what you have, and watch your worries fade away. “…in everything give thanks;” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).