Count Your Many Blessings – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good Morning! Have you counted your blessings from God so far this morning. If you’re alive and breathing, that’s one. If you are reading this post, that’s another (I hope). Did you have breakfast? Count your life a blessing from God. Both the good things and the bad things – real life is a blessing from God.
In Psalm 103, verses 1 and 2, David tells himself: “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…”
What’s David doing? He’s telling his soul to thank God for everything with all that he has in himself. In doing so, he list twelve actions in which God blesses us…
1: He forgives our iniquities (vs 3).
2: He heals our diseases (vs 3).
3: He saves us from going to Hell (vs 4).
4: He shows us His loving kindness, and tender mercies (vs 4).
5: He feeds us (vs 5).
6: He gives us justice (vs 6).
7: He gives us His Word – the Bible (vs 7).
8: He is patient with us (vs 8-11).
9: He pardons our sins (vs 12).
10: He loves us like a Father (vs 13).
11: He knows us better than we know ourselves (vs 14-16).
12: And knowing all about us, He still uses us to do His will (vs 17-22)
God gives us life, and that more abundantly. He gives us the good times, and what we perceive as the bad times. The perceived bad times are for His purpose and glory: they are for our good. Take a look at your life, it may not be as bad as it seems. “Count your many blessings, see what God has done!”
Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.
