Count Your Blessings: God, Relationships, and Trials

Devotional

Day 1: The Anchor of God’s Unchanging Nature in Shifting Seas

Life’s storms make us crave stability. Just as the USS Constitution’s 5,000-pound anchor held fast through centuries, God’s character remains immovable. He is healer, provider, righteousness, and peace—a multi-faceted anchor when waves of uncertainty crash. His names in Scripture aren’t abstract titles but hands-on realities: Jehovah Rapha binds wounds, Jehovah Jireh meets needs, Jehovah Shalom calms inner chaos. When artificial narratives distort truth, His unchanging nature grounds us. [57:58]

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
(Hebrews 6:19, ESV)

Reflection: What storm in your life right now needs the weight of God’s specific character—His healing, provision, or peace—to hold you steady?

Day 2: Iron Sharpening Iron in Life’s Dry Places

True relationships aren’t echo chambers. Like the pastor’s wife sanding his rough edges or Greg Pearson stepping into ministry chaos, God uses friction to refine us. Proverbs warns that isolated iron grows dull. The best friendships aren’t about comfort but holy collision—the kind that leaves both parties sparking with Christ’s likeness. Even Jesus leaned on Lazarus’ sisters and bickering disciples. [01:03:47]

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
(Proverbs 27:17, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your circle lovingly “scratches” your assumptions or habits in ways that push you toward Christ?

Day 3: Falling Without a Parachute and Finding God’s Catch

The AI-generated freefall video mirrors life’s false narratives: sometimes what looks like disaster is God’s setup for rescue. Trials feel like being shoved midair with no safety net, yet His grip never slips. James reframes suffering as a forge for perseverance—not because pain is good, but because God repurposes it. Like the pastor’s dark parenting days later mentoring coworkers, freefalls become testimonies. [01:10:04]

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
(James 1:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: What past “freefall” experience now equips you to spot God’s rescue in others’ crises?

Day 4: When the Pity Party Ends, Ministry Begins

The pastor’s secret condolences for expecting parents reveal how bitterness distorts vision. Yet God repurposes our pits into pulpits. Romans 8:28 isn’t a platitude but a promise: He engineers our messes into ministry tools. Those midnight tears over a wayward child? They’ll water another parent’s wilted hope. The altar isn’t just for surrender but commissioning—exchanging our ashes for others’ oil. [01:15:57]

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
(Romans 8:28, ESV)

Reflection: What current struggle, if surrendered, could become your future tool for comforting others?

Day 5: Naming Blessings One by One Before the Altar

Counting blessings isn’t denial but defiance against despair’s fake news. The hymn’s verses pair storms with gratitude: tempests make us inventory God’s faithfulness. Like the pastor urging names over numbers—Jehovah Mekkadishkem sanctifies, Jehovah Nissi defends—specificity disarms cynicism. The altar becomes a ledger where we trade “if onlys” for “even thoughs,” proving every named blessing outshines unnamed troubles. [01:16:43]

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
(Psalm 103:2, ESV)

Reflection: What three specific blessings can you name today that counterbalance your heaviest burden?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 103:2 sets the whole direction: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Count your blessings is not just a happy little chorus from church days. Count your blessings is a way of refusing to let noise, negativity, fake reality, biased voices, social media, politics, and even AI distortions tell the soul what is true. Just because something is said does not make it reality, and the people of God need a better lens than whatever is loudest.

The first and greatest blessing is God himself. God is creator, Father, friend, provider, healer, protector, peace, shepherd, righteousness, sanctifier, Lord of hosts, all-knowing, everywhere present, and all-powerful. Psalm 103 piles up the benefits: forgiveness, healing, redemption, loving kindness, mercy, satisfaction, renewed strength, righteousness, justice, and a kingdom that rules over all. Hebrews calls this hope an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, like a massive iron anchor holding a ship in place. God is dependable, trustworthy, rock, fortress, and shield. The cross stands as the clearest proof that God loves sinners, and Isaiah’s promise still speaks: though sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. That gift cannot be earned. It can only be accepted.

The second blessing is relationships. Life was not meant to be done alone, and even Jesus’ earthly life was full of relationship with the Father, Mary, Lazarus, Mary and Martha, the disciples, and many others. Ecclesiastes says two are better than one because one can help the other up. Galatians calls believers to bear one another’s burdens, First Thessalonians calls them to encourage and build up, and Proverbs says iron sharpens iron. The right people do not merely agree with everything. The right people help sand off rough edges and make a person better. Finding “my people” can ground a soul when the enemy is playing tricks with the mind.

The third blessing is difficult times. The verses of “Count Your Blessings” are not written for easy days, but for billows, burdens, conflict, discouragement, and heavy crosses. James says trials produce perseverance, and perseverance is the refusal to quit when everything is hard. Romans says suffering leads to perseverance, character, and hope, and Jesus says trouble will come, but he has overcome the world. Hard seasons may become doors for helping someone else later. Anything that makes a person pray can become a blessing. The real question is focus: counting blessings or counting troubles.

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Key Takeaways

1. God Himself Is The First Blessing [54:20] God is not simply the giver of good things. God himself is the greatest gift, the source underneath every other benefit. His names reveal a God who provides, heals, protects, shepherds, sanctifies, and rules over all. Gratitude begins to deepen when the soul stops measuring blessing only by circumstances and starts seeing the character of God as the foundation. [54:20]
2. Relationships Help God’s People Stand [01:00:51] Relationships are not an optional extra for the Christian life. Ecclesiastes, Galatians, Thessalonians, and Proverbs all show that burdens, encouragement, and sharpening require other people. “My people” are often found through faithful involvement, shared service, and humble willingness to be known. The right relationships do not just comfort a person, they help form a person. [60:51]
3. Trials Can Teach Holy Perseverance [01:10:04] Difficult times are not called good because they feel good. Trials become a blessing because God uses them to produce steadfastness, character, and hope that shallow ease could never form. Perseverance is the refusal to quit before God is finished. If God has not said it is over, then there is still a chance. [70:04]
4. Blessings Require Focused Remembering [01:16:23] The soul can lose sight of God’s goodness by staring too long at trouble. Counting blessings is not denial, and it is not putting a head in the sand. It is choosing the truer center while still dealing honestly with hard things. A focused memory can keep pain from becoming the only narrator of reality.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[48:23] - Greeting Graceway
[49:45] - Psalm 103 and Counting Blessings
[51:11] - Distortions That Cloud Reality
[53:57] - Blessing One: God Himself
[54:49] - The Names and Attributes of God
[57:39] - Hope as an Anchor
[58:53] - The Cross Proves God’s Love
[60:51] - Blessing Two: Relationships
[62:34] - Burdens, Encouragement, and Sharpening
[67:37] - Blessing Three: Difficult Times
[70:04] - Trials Produce Perseverance
[73:26] - Trouble, Hope, and Testimony
[76:23] - Counting Blessings Over Troubles
[77:53] - The Altar as Surrender

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 103:2
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,” [49:45]

James 1:2-3
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” [01:10:04]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” [01:01:56]

Romans 5:3-5
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” [01:12:58]

John 16:33
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [01:13:26]

Galatians 6:2
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” [01:02:30]

1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” [01:02:55]

Proverbs 27:17
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” [01:03:22]

Hebrews 6:19
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,” [57:32]

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” [59:34]

Observation questions

In Psalm 103, what “benefits” of God were named, and what do those blessings show about his character? [56:13]
In the passages about relationships, what are other believers called to do for one another: lift up, bear burdens, encourage, or sharpen? How are those actions different from each other? [01:02:30]
In James 1:2-3 and Romans 5:3-5, what chain of growth comes out of trials and suffering? [01:12:58]
What kinds of hard situations are described in the verses of “Count Your Blessings,” and how do those verses change the way the chorus sounds? [01:08:37]

Interpretation questions

Psalm 103:2 tells the soul not to forget God’s benefits. Why does remembering matter so much when life is full of loud voices, negativity, and distorted versions of reality? [51:14]
Hebrews 6:19 calls hope in Christ an “anchor of the soul.” What does that picture suggest about the kind of stability a believer needs in confusing or stormy seasons? [58:12]
Proverbs 27:17 says iron sharpens iron. Why is a sharpening relationship better than having people around who only agree with everything? [01:03:57]
Jesus says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” How can trouble be real at the same time as peace is real? [01:13:26]

Application questions

What has been shaping the view of reality most lately—God’s truth, hard circumstances, social media, news, fear, or something else? What would it look like this week to “forget not all his benefits” on purpose? [51:35]
God himself is the first blessing, not just the giver of other blessings. When gratitude has been mostly tied to circumstances going well, how might the heart need to shift back toward who God is? [54:20]
Who are “your people” right now? If that answer feels unclear, what is one honest step that could help build deeper Christian relationships—joining, serving, reaching out, or letting someone know a burden you have been carrying? [01:04:12]
Bearing burdens and building others up are part of normal Christian life. Is there someone who needs encouragement, prayer, practical help, or a simple check-in this week? What might keep that from happening? [01:02:55]
Some relationships comfort, and some also sharpen. Is there a person who lovingly tells the truth and helps sand off rough edges? How does that kind of friendship feel, and why is it worth receiving? [01:03:42]
If a present difficulty had to be named honestly, what is it? Without pretending it feels good, where might God be producing perseverance, character, or hope in the middle of it? [01:10:28]
It is possible to count troubles until they become the loudest voice in the soul. What practical habit could help keep blessings in view this week—a written list, daily thanksgiving, praying Scripture, talking with a trusted friend, or something else? [01:16:28]

Sermon Clips

37s

#Romans828ForGood

“My favorite verse is Romans eight twenty eight, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. And I think one of the ways that happens is when we go through difficult times and challenging times, it's not fun when we do it. But when we get to the other side and we can use those experiences to help others, I believe that's one way that that verse comes to fruition. That he takes that terrible time, and now you are gonna be able to be a blessing because you experienced a terrible time. And we're gonna we're gonna use that for God's glory.”

40s

#ForgivenAndLoved

“You know, sometimes it's easy to take things for granted. And we just this morning, I just believe part of what I am supposed to do is just to remind you this is the word of the Lord. He said, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Anybody need their sins washed away? Anybody in need of a savior today? Every day? You know, we're human, we make mistakes, and we're in need of a savior. We cannot earn this incredible gift. All we have to do is accept it. What a blessing.”

68s

#PersevereWithHope

“I love that attitude in the face of long odds. He wasn't gonna quit, You know, because there was although slim, you're telling me there's a chance. With God on our side, there's no reason to quit. It is not over until God himself says so. And if he doesn't say so, then there's a chance. Romans five three through five says, we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance. There's that word again. Perseverance, character, and character, hope. This progression highlights the trials are part of a transformative journey that ultimately leads to unwavering hope. Where is our hope? John sixteen thirty three. These are the words of Jesus himself. He said, I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world. What a blessing.”

47s

#GodIsOurAnchor

“This summer, Shirley and I were up in Boston and we were able to tour the USS Constitution, which is the world's oldest commissioned warship that's still afloat. It was first launched, believe it or not, in 1797, and it's still afloat. And it's an impressive vessel. The anchors were just as impressive. They were huge and they were made of iron and they weighed over 5,000 pounds. When dropped, that huge ship was not going anywhere. God is compared to an anchor because it speaks to his reliability, his trustworthiness of his promises on our souls. He will anchor us in place if we submit to him.”

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