By Orlando Cabrera:
Do you remember when you learned how to count? If you do that’s great, I sure don’t and probably, until recently, I haven’t even considered how great it is to be able to count. The counting I am referring to is not the arithmetic related counting, but the spiritual importance of daily counting.
The word count has several meanings…to name the numbers in order, to calculate, to rely or depend on someone or something, to have value or significance, consider. I would venture to say that counting is quite significant to our spiritual walk and intimacy with God.
Over the next couple of posts I thought I would share some thoughts regarding the important of learning to count, and it’s connection to our walk with the Lord. I pray these ramblings will be of blessing to you, here’s the first…
#1. Counting helps fuel our gratitude and helps maintain our humility before the Lord.
It's important that we “count” our blessings; not calculate them, but take in to account what God in His great love and grace has actually bestowed upon your life. Counting our blessings and reflecting upon the goodness of God will draw us to a place of humility and thankfulness. Ingratitude is usually connected to our forgetfulness as much as to our hearts. If you don’t believe me just think back to the people of Israel that Moses lead out of Egypt through the desert. Moses continually endured their moaning and groaning because they were a people who quickly forgot all that God had done on their behalf. In fact, some of Moses' last words to them before he died were “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God…”(Deuteronomy 8:11
We need to remember and we need to count well! Let your “count” start with Jesus, God’s greatest blessing and then work from there. When we practice a habitual lifestyle of counting our blessings, we will begin to see that Jesus Christ is everything and that there is enough in that One gift alone to count a long list of blessings that will carry into eternity. Andrew Murray states that “Thanksgiving will draw our hearts out to God and keep us engaged with Him; it will take our attention from ourselves and give the Spirit room in our hearts."
Consider the words of King David in Psalm 103…
“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, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” - Psalm 103:1-5
So let me borrow from the words of Johnson Oatman and his old old hymn…
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
What blessings do you need to count today? May it fuel your gratitude for our great God.