In the midst of a pandemic and political turmoil, such a scripture as quoted above offers much needed hope. God’s lavish blessings do extend from A to Z for those who put their trust in him. And if we focus our attention on counting those blessings, we’ll have little time to count anything else (1).
So which of the following are you enjoying currently? Count them on your fingers while scrolling through the list.
- Assurance of purpose (Ephesians 2:10)
- Beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3)—including peace, joy, and comfort in the midst of pain and sorrow
- Contentment (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
- Direction (Psalm 23:3b)
- Empowerment (Isaiah 40:29-31)
- Favor (Psalm 5:12)
- God’s Goodness (Psalm 145:9)
- Help (Psalm 46:1)
- Inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4)
- Joy (Nehemiah 8:10)—in God and his attributes
- Knowledge for a satisfying life (Proverbs 2:6)
- Love (Jeremiah 31:3)
- Mercy (Ephesians 2:4-5)
- Needs Met (Philippians 4:19)
- Optimism (Romans 8:28)
- Presence of God (Psalm 145:18)
- Quietness of soul (Zephaniah 3:17)
- Refreshment of spirit (Psalm 23:3)
- Spiritual Strength (Isaiah 41:10)
- Treasure of Scripture (Psalm 119:159-162)
- Usefulness—even into old age (Psalm 92:12-15)
- Value in God’s sight (Ephesians 2:4-7)
- Wisdom (Proverbs 3:13)
- X-pectation (Mark 9:23)
- Yes, because “all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes’” (1 Corinthians 1:20 NLT)
- Zion—the eternal city of new Jerusalem waiting for us (Hebrews 12:22-24, Revelation 21 and 22)
I’m guessing you tallied twenty or more, because many blessings are ongoing no matter our circumstances. Sometimes we just need to avail ourselves of the joys God has already provided.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. We could undoubtedly name many more blessings as a result of trusting in God.
Take “P” for example. God offers such additional pleasures as: peace that defies explanation (Philippians 4:6-7), pardon from guilt and shame (Isaiah 55:7b), participation with God in his work (Philippians 2:13), and pleasures at God’s right hand (Psalm 16:11).
So there you have it, a mere sampling of the joys continually provided by God as we trust in him. Just how many might there be in total? DailyVerses.net lists eighty scriptures that speak of blessing.
Our joys that extend from A to Z do outweigh our sorrows.
* * * * * * * * * *
We praise you, O God, for your abundant love, kindness, faithfulness, and compassion, expressed every day by your overflowing generosity. How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who trust in you. We will sing your praise for as long as we live!
Psalm 86:15; 116:5; 31:19; 146:2
Now it’s your turn to make an alphabet of joy. (“Z” might be a challenge; you can borrow the word “Zion” from this list!) I promise, you’ll find the exercise a delightful blessing.
Meanwhile, which joy is especially meaningful to you in this moment? Please share in the comment section below!
Notes:
- Woodrow Kroll
- https://dailyverses.net/blessing/esv
Photo credits: http://www.canva.com; http://www.wallpaperflare.com; http://www.canva.com; Unknown; http://www.pixfuel.com.
Nancy, I really like this. I have made alphabets like these during prayer time. One is about the attributes of God. Another is what I want for my relatives and loved ones. This Alphabet of Joy is so needful during this time when it seems like our joy can slip away. Thanks for lifting my spirits.
Thank you, Elaine. I have another alphabet list on the goodness of God that became a blog post a couple of years ago. Might be similar to your attribute list. So glad I could lift your spirits, my friend. Praise God for his inspiration!
A gentle abededary of boundless grace. Thank you, Nancy!
Wow, Laurie–that word, abededary isn’t even in my dictionary! Must come from one of those library-sized tomes that sits on its own pedestal. Indeed, every item on this list of joys comes to us because of our Father’s boundless grace. Hallelujah!
This is such a gift. I see it as a gift book. You should submit this! Thank you for blessing me today.
Thank YOU very much for the suggestion to grow this post into a gift book. That’s a grand idea! So glad that I could bless you today, Jean.
I’ll take ‘Z’ for Zion as one of my favorites in this abecedary and its wonderful promise for an eternity of joy, freedom from the challenges we all face in this present world!!! Beautiful presentation, Nancy!
Thank you, Cheri. “Joy IS the serious business of heaven” (C. S. Lewis, emphasis added)!
Assurance of purpose (Ephesians 2:10) grabbed my attention as we have just moved, quit job and at least semi-retired.I have always been on the hunt for purpose with each of life’s transitions. Not surprisingly, The Lord assures me each time he has his purpose for even the smallest of things, and assurance of purpose to go with it.
I’m with you on those observations, Gary. Such knowledge calms the spirit, doesn’t it? I can’t imagine going through life, enduring the transitions, and facing unanswered questions without the foundation of God’s wisdom in everything he does, his sovereignty over all things, his capability to take care of every eventuality, and his promise to achieve good purpose in it all (Romans 8:28)!
This is such a great and faith-building list, Nancy. God’s word is so amazing.
Thank you, Bill. There’s something about lining up such blessings all in a row that multiplies their impact on my spirit. You are so right: God’s word is amazing. It NEVER ceases to minister no matter how old we might grow to be or how familiar we might become with its content. Hallelujah!
This is beautiful. So positive. It puts the focus back on what really matters in life – our relationship with the Lord 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you, DLH–so glad you found the post meaningful. Praise God for his inspiration!
Nancy,
I’m going to print this out and keep it at my desk. Thank you. Such a tool for thanksgiving and praise! 🙂
Deb
I’m so delighted this Alphabet of Joy will live at your desk, Deb, as a tool for thanksgiving and praise. That makes ME thank and praise God too!
That’s so great, Nancy. That makes me happy! On another note, I have been having trouble with replying to comments on my blog. If you did not receive a response from me on your recent comment can you please let me know? Your words always mean so much. Thanks again!
You are right, a response has not turned up yet. It blesses my heart that I can be an encouragement to you, Deb!
You are, Nancy! My two best blogging buddies have moved away from WP. They kept me going as God was teaching me. They were His gifts to me. God does always provide, doesn’t He!
I don’t know what’s wrong with my comments though…
you presented it with such simplicity and yet it made such a joy to read and relish. Thank you Nancy.
Thank you, Sophia! I’m so glad you enjoyed this alphabet. Compiling the list was certainly a blessing to me.