Saturday, November 29, 2014

STORIES OF BLESSINGS ON NOVEMBER 29, 2014, PART 4

TOPICS IN THIS BLOG POST:

1 THE BIGGEST BLESSINGS CAN BE WHEN WE ARE NOT GIVEN THE BLESSINGS WE SEEK

2 CHRISTIAN AND BIBLICAL BLESSINGS: FAVOR

3 1 CHRONICLES 16:8

4 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GIVE THANKS AND COUNT OUR BLESSINGS?

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Be a blessings counter.

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1 THE BIGGEST BLESSINGS CAN BE WHEN WE ARE NOT GIVEN THE BLESSINGS WE SEEK

Written 2014-11-29 19:52:15, Saturday

I have noticed a particular trend in my life, particularly the last twenty-nine days. It has been a reminder of a life lesson I have learned time and time again over the last four decades.

I am a dreamer. I dream big dreams. I dream impossible dreams.

And, I have great faith and much hope.

I tend to get so excited pursuing a dream, having a vision, that I lose sight of what the Blessings Giver wants to offer me. I lose my way through the excitement and usually stop counting my blessings--or I count the wrong ones--the ones that really do not mean much.

Needless to say, I have learned this lesson: The biggest blessings in my life have been the blessings I sought, but were not given. For, in my excitement, I have lost track and have not counted my blessings like I could or should. I lost my way and the blessings I was not given were the biggest blessings of all and they led to even more blessings.

A no isn't always a bad thing. It usually frees us up for something far better.

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2 CHRISTIAN AND BIBLICAL BLESSINGS: FAVOR

Blessings are favor the Blessings Giver, God, gives to us. They are gifts given to us by the Almighty.

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3 1 Chronicles 16:8 New Living Translation (NLT)

8 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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4 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GIVE THANKS AND COUNT OUR BLESSINGS?

Written 2014-11-29 20:10:46, Saturday

How important is it for me (and us) to count my (our) blessings?

The worst mistake we can make is to miss a blessing. In this life, there are challenges. Every blessing we can count is precisely what equips us to deal with the challenges and storms of life. Each blessing arms us, equips us, prepares us, strengthens us, and grows us to deal with what comes next. Hence, when we miss a blessing, we miss everything the Blessings Giver has to offer. We miss a blessing and we miss a great deal more than an item to count on our list. Every blessing runs deep and matters.

How important is it to count our blessings?

Read the following verse:

1 Chronicles 16:4 Expanded Bible (EXB)

4 Then David appointed some of the Levites to ·serve [minister] before the Ark of theLord. They had the job of ·leading the worship [celebrating; extolling; invoking; offering prayers] and giving thanks and praising the Lord, the God of Israel.

Expanded Bible (EXB)

Do not miss the significance of this verse.

Some Levites (priests) were assigned to give thanks.

Chew on that for a moment. Let it roll around in your mind for a moment. Try to fully grasp what this means. Counting our blessings is so important it was one of the duties assigned to a specific priest to do for the rest of his life and in service to the Lord.

Giving thanks, counting our blessings, is profoundly important.

It is profoundly sacred to do so.

As a matter of fact, several verses in the Bible talk about offering a thanks offering or a thanksgiving offering. It is so important to give thanks and count our blessings that it was presented as a sacrifice to the Lord. People were to bring their thanks and blessings to the altar.

It is a ministry of thanks... gratitude... thanksgiving... blessings... counting of blessings... whatever you prefer to call it.

Counting our blessings is profoundly important and deeply sacred.

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