Deuteronomy 26:11 And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.

When you think about it, it’s interesting what we are commanded to rejoice in God’s goodness to us. You would think that would come naturally! However, human beings have a remarkable capacity for looking at the dark side of things, for saying “This isn’t enough,” or “This won’t last.” God says to cut that out! One of the biggest secrets to real happiness is recognizing the blessings you already have. That’s why the devil, who hates mankind because God loves us, does all he can to keep us blind to God’s blessings. God desires the very best for us, and He is amazingly faithful. When we get that through our heads, it becomes easier to recognize more of the blessings He gives us along the way. We will never know the extent of His negative blessings – keeping us from assorted harm and disaster – that He pours out on us, but we get glimpses of that from close calls and from things that happen to others around us. We need to remember that we deserve no better than others, as Jesus reminded the people who told Him about some current events of the day. (Luke 13:1-5) Positive blessings are easier to recognize, but even there our appreciation is generally far too limited. We fix our hearts on something we don’t have and then fail to appreciate and enjoy what we do have. That is one of the greatest causes of human misery, and God wants to lift us out of that mindset.

I’m certainly vulnerable in this area, though the Lord has taught me a lot about contentment and appreciation. As Paul said, Godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) Any time I do any kind of an inventory I find that there are things I would like to be different, but I also find an overwhelming abundance of God’s grace and provision. I need to teach the believers to look for and appreciate God’s grace and blessings toward them. This is the message I’ve already been told to speak this coming Sunday, and I’m certainly being given a wealth of material! I too have the tendency to be put into a sour mood by one negative event, and if I am going to help the believers out of that trap, I need to get out of it myself!

Father, thank You indeed for Your overwhelming grace toward me. Help me walk in more consistent appreciation, recognizing more of Your blessings and giving You thanks and praise. Thank You for the recent training in trusting You when I didn’t see the solution to a problem I was facing, but You of course did. Thank You for manifesting that solution yesterday. Thank You for how Your plans for me indeed fit in perfectly with Your plans for everyone else. Help me be a joyful, open channel of Your grace and blessing to each person around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!