“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬

Do you remember the hymn “Count Your Blessings”? Many of us might remember the chorus, but the entire hymn is very encouraging and challenging. It was written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897 and is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Someone once said of Count Your Blessings, “It is like a beam of sunlight that has brightened up the dark places of the earth.” Early on, it was especially popular in Great Britain, where it was said, “The men sing it, the boys whistle it, and the women rock their babies to sleep on this hymn.” During the revival in Wales, it was one of the hymns sung at every service.

The wonderful encouragement to “count your blessings” is often misunderstood. It does not mean denying that you are having problems. It does not mean ignoring troubling emotions. It does not mean, “Cheer up and act like everything is fine.” That approach does not work, nor does it lead to lasting joy and peace. The hymn actually encourages us to acknowledge openly that we are “tempest-tossed” or “burdened with a load of care,” and to bring those concerns to God in prayer.

When we go to God with our troubles, we begin to see that we do not need to be discouraged because “God is over all.” To count our blessings is to appreciate—one by one—that we have “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Genuine thanks and praise to God go hand in hand with openly unburdening ourselves before the listening ears of the “Father of compassion” and the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

Anchor For Today:
Take time to consider the great things that God has done. He has given us many reasons to be a thankful people.