This past week, I pulled out all the lawn equipment to get everything cleaned up and ready for the new growing season. One of my prized weed eaters decided it was time for retirement. After cleaning the carburetor and filter, it just refused to start. Even though this particular weed-eater has faithfully served me for the past seven or so years, buying a weed eater this season was not something I had planned on. It seems these past few weeks, something has come up every week and the money is going out a lot faster than it is coming in. We all go through these seasons. I would like to tell you that I handled this well, but that would be stretching the truth. My first reaction and thought was “really…what else could go wrong?” After I calmed down a bit, I realized it was not a big deal and thankfully we could afford to buy a new one.
BLESSINGS
What I want to share with you is really not about weed-eaters, but about the blessings we have. There are so many little ways we are blessed each week. Often times the problems of our week seem to take over our thoughts and they may even consume much of our time. However, if we pause to think about it, we really are blessed in so many ways (EVEN when things go wrong).
THANKFULNESS
What struck me this week, as I had to replace that weed eater, was the fact that I could. Although unexpected, it was within our means and we could afford to do so. It really caused me to stop and think about how richly blessed I am each week. I was reminded of Jesus as He met some lepers along His journey. In (Luke 17:11-18) the Bible records,
“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
BLESSED BE HIS NAME
Of the ten lepers who were cleansed, one returned to praise and glorify God. I want to be among those who return to praise and glorify God. I want to remember to be thankful to the Lord each day for the blessing in my life. I know there will be days that are more challenging than others, but the Lord is worthy to be praised. Job understood this. In a single day, Job lost his livestock, his workers, his daughters, and his sons. Yet in all this, Job declared (Job 1:21), “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (emph. added). Blessed be the name of the Lord, He is worthy to be praised.
REMEMBER TO BE THANKFUL
It was just a weed eater, but it reminded me of how blessed I truly am. I hope in some ways these simple words would remind you of the blessings we have in Christ. My prayer is that we would see past the weekly frustrations and see the blessings we have in the Lord. As we do so, don't forget to thank and praise Him, for He is worthy to be praised.
notes: All Bible references from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted
bio: Steve and Brenda have been married for the past twenty-seven years and have three beautiful daughters. In addition to producing content for and managing SimplyRevised, Steve is the preaching minister at Southbelt Church of Christ located in Pasadena, TX.