Blessings Upon Blessings

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Psalm 139:1-6 (NLT) ~
 
O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!
 
Psalm 139 is one of my favorite passages of scripture.  I love the picture of God going before and going behind and a different translation of this passage says that He hems us in, or encircles us. 
 
There are days when I can feel this so clearly in my own life.  I get the sense that His hand of blessing is on my head.  Does that mean my life is perfect?  Not at all.  We deal with very hard things much of the time that many do not know about.  In fact, yesterday we got blind-sided by an unexpected bill that I have no idea how we are going to pay.  But I do believe that blessing does not mean "no problems."
 
We are going to have struggles and trials and very severe problems in this lifetime.   Bad things happen.  A lot.
 
But the word, blessing, means encouragement or approval.  God gives me encouragement even when I'm struggling.  That encouragement may come in very tangible help or it may come through words from a friend.  So when God places His hand of blessing on my head it means that I am encouraged because of Him.
 
This week I have so many things to be thankful for and I missed doing the multitude Monday post.  So I decided to list my blessings today instead.
 
This week I'm thankful for blessings #2171 - 2190.
 
2171.  The 2 a.m. sound of crickets outside my window.
 
2172.  A friends who provided some encouragement last night when I needed it.
 
2173.  Gorgeous sunsets.
 
 
2174.  Stephen who made it off to college safely and is settling in well.
 
2175.  A husband who is available for his children and goes the extra mile.
 
2176.  The enjoyment that comes with singing with our worship team.
 
2177.  Nature's candy.
 
 
2178.  That my daughter loves school.
 
 
2179.  Nathan is being moved to the day shift which means no more 2:00 a.m. drives for him on back country roads, especially in the winter.
 
2180.  The excitement that comes with opening my own shop.  The Grand Opening is Saturday!
 
2181.  A large Etsy order which is going to help pay some bills.
 
2182.  The generosity of another friend which is giving me the opportunity to open the shop.
 
2183.  An afternoon spent with family.
 
2184.  The feeling of clean sheets.
 
2185.  Long, productive days.
 
2186.  The tasteful blend of tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil.
 
2187.  The ability to encourage others.  I was able to pray with a hurting friend at the shop the other day.
 
2188.  My children who bring me great joy.
 
2189.  The ability to say, "I'm sorry." and to receive forgiveness from my son.
 
and finally....
 
2190.  God's hand of blessing in the small, every day moments of my life.

Comments

  1. EileenSeptember 5, 2014 at 8:50 AM

    What an encouraging post! Just what I needed this morning, so I will claim this as a blessing from God.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TerriSeptember 5, 2014 at 9:18 AM

      I'm glad it encouraged you, Eileen and praying that you have a wonderful day!

      Delete
  2. esSeptember 5, 2014 at 12:51 PM

    HI Terri,
    Thank you so much for the wonderful post. It lifted me up (and made me cry). Hope tomorrow will be a fabulous day -exciting!

    ReplyDelete

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