Rev. Richard Smith
February 2, 2023
Psalm 100
3Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Any given week in any faith community across the globe there are countless people for whom life is presenting real challenges and real struggles: Those who are experiencing the loss of loved ones, sometimes prematurely and quite unexpectedly; those who battle family problems; those who are facing economic uncertainty; tose who face a significant, unexpected disruption to their hopes and dreams; those who face the distressing diagnosis of a critical illness; those who are struggling with the effects of some unjust action.
And on and on the list goes!
The fact is each of us who’s living and beathing has had, does have, or will have deeply trying times! As I’ve often said, God does not promise any of us immunity from life’s tough times and thus heartache is normative for all of humanity.
In the midst of our burdens and our difficulties, it’s easy to focus on how bad things are, how unfortunate we are, and how life is not being kind. The truth is, each of us should feel free to be honest about our distressing circumstances; healthy venting can be fruitful.
At the same time, we must gather our wits and find ways, perhaps with the help of others, to focus on what is good; what is encouraging; what is enriching. While it seems trite, we, in essence, need to focus on our blessings. There is always something for which we can give thanks! Seems trite, but I think it’s true…
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
(Johnson Oatman, 1897).
