(Psalm 107:1-9)
I welcome you very specially to December, the very last month in the year 2022. Glory be to God Almighty for the privilege to see the end of the year, may His Name be praised in Jesus’ Name.
Brethren, if you look back to the beginning of the year, just like yesterday, eleven months have come and gone and the Lord has been faithful to us in all our ways, that is why it is important to count our blessings and give thanks to God, particularly when you discover that so many people did not have the privilege to see this last month of the year.
It is important to look at the areas of life where God has been benevolent to us and give Him thanks:
- The Gift of Life: “Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit” (Job 10:12). Every microsecond on earth witnesses the departure of thousands of souls to the grave. Some fell ill and never survived, and some passed from sleep to death. It is not our seemingly healthy lifestyle that is preserving us even though it could remotely be a contributing factor, rather it is the Lord’s doing because He is the Giver of life according to Genesis 2:7, “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and that was how man became a living soul”. Life flows from Him and He is also the One Who determines when to take it back. So, waking to a new day is evidence of the Lord’s goodness upon our lives, and it is the greatest blessing we receive from God because it grants us access to all other blessings, which are predicated upon the gift of life. May His Name be praised in Jesus’ Name.
- Divine Health and Healing (Exodus 15:26): “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3). Doctors will always affirm their human limitations and tell us that while they only administer drugs and medications, it is the Lord Who heals. Divine health comes from God and without good health, one could be living without being alive. Human beings need good health to achieve whatever they pursue in life. Some folks have spent most of the year in sickness and on hospital beds. I am not sure such people will be happy, but here you are strong and healthy, no part of your body is missing or dysfunctional, you are not on the hospital bed neither are you in the asylum, God is worthy to be praised.
- Divine Provisions (Psalm 23:5, Philippians 4:19): “I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread” (Psalm 132:15). It is imperative to acknowledge that our God is a provider. He provides for our needs, takes care of us in times of lack, and opens the windows of the heavens unto us when we ask. Brethren, note that there are a lot of miracles you do not pray for but yet receive, one of such is divine provisions. How many times do you pray for food yet you eat as many times in a day, sometimes before you finish spending God provides another and if you look critically you will discover that your legitimate or regular income or salary is not what sustains you as a believer in Christ. There is always an invisible hand that provides and supplies more than what you need. Just take time out one day and calculate what you have spent for the month and compare it with your salary and you will discover that the miracle of divine provision has taken place.
Therefore, we need to count our blessings and give thanks to God. Bless Him for what He has done and stop complaining about what you think He has not done for you.
PRAYER POINTS:
- Worship and give thanks to God for the gift of life and the miracles of sleeping and waking up each day since the beginning of this year.
- Thank God for the grace and privilege to see and witness December, the last month in 2022.
- Thank God for good health and healing you of your sicknesses as many times you fell sick since the beginning of the year.
- Thank God for divine provisions; He has always provided for your needs somehow and, in spite of the hard times, you survive.
- Father, having thanked You for all You have done since the beginning of the year, please continue to keep me in perfect peace for the remaining days in Jesus’ Name.
Shalom.
