“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” You remember that hymn, don’t you? You can hum it right now, can’t you? If we look at the things in front of us we will get very discouraged. Problems, pains, and heartaches stare us in the face each day. If we aren’t careful we will begin to focus on those things, and we’ll be robbed of our joy, our faith, and our compassion. Focusing on all that is bad and evil can cause us to complain and murmur. That is exactly what Israel did in Numbers 10-13. Gripping, dissatisfied, and ultimately blaming God and Moses for their misery. They quickly forgot that they’d been slaves in Egypt and God miraculously freed them from bondage. They complained about the food. God gave them quail and manna from heaven each day and they thought the menu in Egypt was tastier. Sure, they had to eat leek, onion, and garlic soup every day, but it tasted good unlike those aggravating quail. They had to walk outside the tent door and hit it with a stick, dress and then cook it. And that manna, why it was just like those no-good Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Can you imagine choosing the former foods of Egypt rather than the latter? I think how nuts they were. But do we think like Israel? I’m afraid we do if we don’t sincerely think things through.

Psalm 103 is a song by David. It is a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. It is food for our thinking. The song breaks down into three easy sections.

  1. There is the personal aspect of the song. David remembers the Lord and all the things He has done. He forgave his iniquities and healed his diseases. He saved his life over and over from enemies both foreign and domestic. God was merciful to him and satisfied his mouth, giving him renewed strength. We see all these in the first five verses.
  2. The second section has to do with the nation. We see this in verses 6-18. God had protected, fed, and blessed His people. He was merciful and dealt with them after their sins. His grace was everywhere. Man’s problems are many, but God’s mercies and graces are always greater. I love America. At one time we had a Christian nation. Those days are gone. We are secular and certainly live in a Post-Modern society. White is black and black is white. Right is called wrong, and evil is called good. I am just like you, many things I read daily irritate me greatly, but then I think my way back from the edge. I remember that God is good, and God is still in control. He is simply letting man have all the rope he needs. Just as ancient Israel needed godly leadership, so does America. It is my conviction that godly leadership isn’t lacking. I believe it is non-existent. But remember this, God is still on the throne, and still does as He chooses. He is still omni-potent and the same God that spoke everything into existence by the word of His mouth still reigns supreme.
  3. The last portion of the song is found in verses 19-22. It touches on the universal. Those verses refer to His throne in heaven, the angels that excel in their strength, and the works that He does. David blesses the Lord over and over throughout the song.

Count your blessings. Grab a piece of paper and start writing. What has God done for you? If you are not careful you’ll have a page full in a few minutes. All you need to do is think about it. Once your list is made, read it over and over. You’ll think of more things to add. Soon you’ll have two, then three pages. How do I know this? Because God is infinite, holy, merciful, gracious, and loving. He does abundantly more than we could ever ask or think. This holiday season, think long and hard. Don’t think about the evils of society when people are pitted against each other by class, economics, and race. Think about how wonderful it is to be a Christian during these trying times and thank God over and over for His blessings.