I really can't consider blessings without some reflection. Oh, I could move from 'thing' to 'thing' and call them blessing (because they are), but some blessings are not tangible. Meditation, for example. I am becoming a friend of meditation. I used to fight it...I don't have time to meditate; I'm not smart enough to meditate (yeah...stupid, huh); I fall asleep when I meditate (which I do, occasionally); and meditation sounds too radical and, well weird. Now before I give the wrong impression, I'm not talking about the 'sitting-cross-legged-reciting-ohmmmm' kind of meditation, just the kind of meditation that takes a scripture or truth about God, thinks about it, then allows God to speak that truth into my life circumstance.
For example: Romans 5:1-5. I started studying that scripture many years ago when I discovered that the Holy Spirit lives within me. And now I am still finding facets of God's truth in the same scriptures. Recently it is faith, hope, and love. Sounds like I Corinthians 13. So I compared them. Then in prayer and meditation I brought my 'findings' before God and ask His wisdom on what I discovered. I waited. Thoughts relating to different areas of my life are brought up, and I think of them in the light of the scripture, and faith, hope, and love. Then I choose the one thought that seems most pressing in my life and I lift it to God. Right now it is the hope that the pressure Pete is under at work will be lifted. I was almost afraid to hope for that relief because what if it doesn't happen? I would be SO disappointed! But the truth is 'hope' doesn't disappoint because God's love is poured out into my heart. In faith I stand in the grace of God and rejoice!
Throughout the day I am able to reflect on this truth and find strength in my Lord that would not have been there had I not taken the time to meditate and allow Him to quietly speak hope into my life.
What a blessing!
Romans 5:1-5 (New International Version)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
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