Recognizing God's Blessings

 

It is so amazing how we miss our blessings because we are looking for something else. I have a guy friend who is thinking about settling down. He has been dating his current girlfriend for a number of years, and he feels that it is time to make a commitment. But-there is almost always a “but”-there is a problem. He is not sure that she is the one. Yes, he loves her. Yes, he enjoys her company. However, there is this little gnawing feeling on the inside. What is it?

It is the voice of God. This “feeling” he is having is the Lord trying to tell him that she is not the right woman for him. I can see it. And, so can our other friends. He has just convinced himself that his girl must be the one. Besides, she has been with him all these years. Right?

What he has failed to realize is that God has already answered his prayer for a wife. It is not in the woman he seems so determined to place himself with. He recent met a nice, young lady. This lady is pretty, smart, and shares a lot of the same interests as him. He is very attracted to her. She is very attracted to him. The young lady has confessed to him how she feels and indicated that she would like to explore a relationship with him. My friend has admitted to the young lady and to me that he feels drawn to her. She is a Christian and so is he. However, because he has spent years dating the first lady, he feels obligated to stay with her. I love my friend and fear that he will miss his blessing.

I remember one of T.D. Jake’s sermons where he talked about when we ask God for oak trees sometimes he gives us an acorn. He went on to explain that often we are too blind to realize that the oak tree is nesting inside the acorn. So, we miss the blessing. We don’t realize that God has already answered.

How often have we prayed for a job and yet turned down jobs because they were what we felt we deserved? Did we not realize that God sent us a job? However, it was not the job we wanted. How many times have we asked God to bless us with a new car but didn’t like the one he allowed us to have?

I am single. But, don’t fool yourself; I have been in serious relationships. I hear women all the time complain about not being able to find a good man. I haven’t had that problem. I have had good men. The problem was me. I was not good to them. They were “too nice” or “just not my type”. How often did I leave behind men who would have been good to me? Since I have learned to walk closer with God I realize that I missed a lot of my blessings looking for what I thought was the ideal man.

I pray my friend doesn’t miss an opportunity. Yes, his current girlfriend will probably be a decent wife~if he marries her. But, how much better suited is this beautiful young lady? How much happier would he be if he would open his heart and listen to the voice of God!

Let us not despise the day of small beginnings. Let us learn to listen to the small, still voice of God. Let us recognize our true blessings when they come. Let us know when God has answered.

Zechariah 4:10

For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel-- these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth."

 

Jeremiah 5:21
Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:

Ezekiel 12:2
"Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

Mark 4:12
so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"