Beracah

I told Leah to count her blessings while Johnson Oates’ lyrics echoed in the back of my head, “…name them one by one.” My fatherly advice was not intended as corrective but rather a universal reminder of how we all dwell in the Valley of Beracah (2 Chronicles 20:26) and should never lose sight of the blessings that are not only abundant but tailored to our current needs. King Jehoshaphat and his army had been told by prophetic utterance that the battle was the Lord’s but stood in awe to see the vast coalition of armies that lay silent on the valley floor from destroying one another. They had resolved that the charge to go and face this formidable army would be a costly but victorious battle. They knew only Jehovah would enable them and so they had spent the night in worship singing at the top of their lungs, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” So, surprised and awed, they stand overlooking the enduring love of a God who delivers His people. The text reveals the depths of God’s blessing is not only deliverance from an enemy but Jehoshaphat’s troops spent three days collecting valuable articles from the fallen armies that had intended to route them. The divine irony of it is that they collect harps, lutes and trumpets that are taken to the Jerusalem temple and used not to rally troops against Jehovah’s people but to stir the hearts of God’s people in singing praise to the God who delivers!

So, how do you count your blessings? I’m not sure that it is a literal naming them one by one… even though that is a fun challenge. It is more of a call to recognize that like Jehoshaphat’s army we collect blessing after blessing over several days. That is, we are challenged each day to see the blessings that God has left in our path… some will be familiar and well-worn (give us this day our daily bread) and some will be unexpected and demanding (your will be done on earth as it is in heaven). But we resolve that we WILL be blessed because we are confident the Lord’s love endures forever! So, we will praise Him in the storm as well as the calm. We will seek to be still so we may know Him and hear His whispered presence. We will acknowledge Him in all our ways and let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly! We WILL be blessed!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20,21). -DAN