Count Your Blessings: Remembering God’s Faithfulness in Difficult Times

Count your blessings and let remembering God’s faithfulness strengthen your faith for what lies ahead 

Welcome to another episode of the Health for the Spirit, Soul, and Body Blog from Doxa Missions. Today, we’re looking at the importance of taking time to count your blessings, especially when life feels uncertain, difficult, or incomplete. 

There is a familiar line from an old hymn that says: 

“Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” 

How true those words are. 

Many times, we forget what God has already done because our minds are consumed with what we still desire Him to do. We may be praying for a specific breakthrough, waiting for a miracle, or facing a challenge that seems to occupy every thought. 

When one need feels urgent, it can become the centre of our attention. We may begin to measure God’s goodness only by whether that one prayer has been answered. In doing so, we can overlook the countless ways He is already caring for us every day. 

By the end of this post, you’ll understand how remembering God’s faithfulness can renew your hope, strengthen your faith, and help you face today’s challenges with greater confidence. 

The Blessings We Sometimes Overlook 

I have found myself in this situation. 

There have been times when I was under financial pressure and desperately wanted God to provide a solution. During those moments, I became so focused on the financial need that I forgot the many other ways God had already blessed me. 

He had given me excellent health. 

He had allowed me to sleep peacefully at night. 

He had protected my mind from anxiety and fear. 

He had kept my body strong and my thoughts sound. 

These are tremendous blessings, but they are easy to take for granted. 

Sometimes we think of blessings only as dramatic miracles or major breakthroughs. However, many of God’s greatest gifts are found in the ordinary parts of life. 

The ability to wake up in the morning is a blessing. 

The strength to get out of bed is a blessing. 

A clear mind is a blessing. 

Peace in the middle of uncertainty is a blessing. 

The love of family and friends is a blessing. 

Food, shelter, protection, and another opportunity to keep moving forward are all blessings from God. 

The Bible reminds us: 

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24, KJV 

Every new day is evidence of God’s mercy. Even when everything is not yet the way we want it to be, God is still present, still faithful, and still working. 

Count Your Blessings During Difficult Seasons 

It is easy to count our blessings when life is going well. The real challenge is learning to remember God’s goodness while we are waiting for an answer. 

Financial pressure, health concerns, family struggles, disappointment, and uncertainty can make it difficult to see anything beyond the immediate problem. Yet those are the very moments when we most need to pause and remember. 

Counting your blessings does not mean pretending that your problems do not exist. 

It does not mean denying your pain or ignoring your responsibilities. 

It means refusing to allow one difficult situation to erase the evidence of God’s faithfulness throughout your life. 

You can acknowledge that something is hard while also recognising that God has been good. 

You can pray for what you need while still thanking Him for what you already have. 

The Bible says: 

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18, KJV 

This verse does not tell us to give thanks for every painful situation. It tells us to give thanks in every situation. Even in difficulty, we can find reasons to honour God for His presence, His protection, His provision, and His promises. 

David Encouraged Himself in the Lord 

This brings us to the story of David at Ziklag. 

David and his men returned to the city and discovered that the Amalekites had attacked it. The city had been burned, and their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. 

The situation was devastating. 

David and his men were so overwhelmed that they wept until they had no more strength left to weep. To make matters worse, the men became bitter and spoke of stoning David. 

David was grieving personally, carrying the pain of his people, and facing rejection from those closest to him. 

Then the Bible records these powerful words: 

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” — 1 Samuel 30:6, KJV 

David encouraged himself in the Lord. 

The Bible does not tell us exactly what he said or thought in that moment. However, it is reasonable to believe that David remembered the faithfulness of God. 

Perhaps he remembered the lion and the bear. 

Perhaps he remembered how God gave him victory over Goliath. 

Perhaps he remembered the many times God protected him from King Saul. 

Perhaps he reminded himself that every previous enemy had failed to destroy the purpose of God for his life. 

David had a history with God. 

When his present circumstances felt unbearable, he could look back and remember that the Lord had never abandoned him. 

In essence, David could say, “If God has done it before, He can do it again.” 

That remembrance gave him the courage to seek the Lord once more. 

Remembering God’s Faithfulness Strengthens Faith 

Rehearsing God’s faithfulness is one of the most powerful ways to encourage yourself. 

When fear says, “You will not make it,” your testimony says, “God carried me before.” 

When worry says, “There is no way forward,” your testimony says, “God has made a way in the past.” 

When discouragement says, “Nothing is changing,” your testimony reminds you that God is often working even when you cannot yet see the result. 

The book of Revelation says: 

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” — Revelation 12:11, KJV 

Our testimonies are powerful. 

We often think about sharing our testimonies with other people, but there are times when we need to preach them to ourselves. 

We need to remind ourselves of every answered prayer. 

We need to remember every door God opened. 

We need to recall every moment of protection, healing, provision, comfort, and deliverance. 

Each testimony becomes evidence that God is still faithful. 

Remembering God’s faithfulness strengthens our faith because it shifts our attention away from the size of the problem and back to the character of God. 

Circumstances change, but God does not. 

Feelings rise and fall, but His promises remain. 

The Bible declares: 

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” — Hebrews 13:8, KJV 

The God who helped you yesterday is still God today. 

Create a Habit of Gratitude 

Counting your blessings becomes even more powerful when it becomes a daily habit. 

You may find it helpful to keep a gratitude journal. Each day, write down three things for which you are thankful. They do not have to be dramatic. 

You may be thankful for a peaceful morning, a kind conversation, a meal, an answered prayer, unexpected help, or the strength to complete a difficult task. 

You can also create a written record of past victories. 

Write down moments when God provided for you, protected you, healed you, guided you, or carried you through a painful season.

Then, when a new challenge comes, return to that list. 

Let your own history with God remind you that He is trustworthy. 

The psalmist said: 

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” — Psalm 103:2, KJV 

Notice the words “forget not.” 

Sometimes we must intentionally tell our souls to remember. 

Gratitude helps us do that. It keeps our minds from becoming trapped in what is missing and opens our eyes to what God is already doing. 

Let Your Blessings Speak Louder Than Your Fear 

Today, do not focus only on what you are still waiting for. 

Pause for a moment. 

Take a breath. 

Look back over your life and count your blessings. 

Name them one by one. 

Remember the prayers God has answered, the dangers He has protected you from, the strength He has given you, and the doors He has opened. 

Remember the times you thought you would not make it, but God carried you through. 

The same God who was faithful then is faithful now. 

As you count your blessings, fear will begin to lose its voice. Gratitude will rise. Hope will return. Faith will become stronger. 

You may even be surprised by how much the Lord has already done. 

What is one blessing you can thank God for today as you remember His faithfulness?