“I’ve been pretty blessed. Sometimes it comes in disguise.” – Clarence Clemons

“Good when He gives, supremely good; Nor less when He denies: Afflictions, from His sovereign hand, Are blessings in disguise.” – Brother Lawrence

“Sometimes not seeing things can be a blessing.” – August Strindberg

“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” – Hebrews 11:1 AMP

Every one of us, no matter where we are in life, have blessings we can count.  Even in the worst moments, if we look hard enough, we can find certain people, particular circumstances, or tangible possessions to be thankful for.  The old adage, “It could always be worse!” is so true.

Being able to distinguish overt blessings during tough times like this isn’t easy, but I find it funny how counting our blessings can be just as difficult in the good times– even when they are apparent, abundant, and overflowing.  We have become so accustomed to having what we need at our fingertips, that often we acquire this sense of entitlement – believing we have an inalienable right to all that is good, plentiful, and trouble-free.

So, today I am challenging you to look hard at your life and count the overt blessings that surround you!  Write them down as you recognize them – generating as long of a list as you can.

Then, take some quiet time this evening and let each one soak into your thoughts.  Don’t rush through the list but spend awhile mulling each one over in your mind.  Think about what life would be like without them.  Experience the happiness they bring to you.  If you are going through difficulty right now, hold on to these overt, distinct, unmistakable gifts that still remain a part of who you are.

Now that you have generated a list of the visible, present, and noticeable blessings, I want you to go one step further.

Take a moment to contemplate all the hidden blessings – the ones that are faint, unclear, and not so apparent. These hidden blessings may be covert and somewhat vague, but they are a part of your life just the same.  They hold an equal amount of value to those that are clear and tangible.

What do I mean by hidden blessings?

Think about the travel delay that might have saved you from a fatal accident, or about the broken relationship that had it worked out, would have changed your life in devastating ways.

Think about the cancer cells (unknown or undetected by you) that were cured before they manifest themselves, or the declined job offers or failed interviews that helped you avoid a bad company or a failing career.

Maybe the child you lost or the child you never had would have experienced a dark, difficult life ahead of them.  Maybe the early, unexpected passing of a loved one was more about mercy, grace, and new beginnings then it was about death, destruction, and loss.

You see my friend, if God is working out in the open, providing us very obvious, clear and distinct blessings in the moment, then He is equally and without doubt working behind the scenes – blessing us in hidden, quiet, and undiscernible ways as well.

Do you believe this?  Do you have the faith it takes to observe “the evidence of things not seen.”?

Trust me. You have more hidden blessings than you realize!

Sometimes God pulls back the secret vail – giving us a view of those hidden blessings that occurred in our past.  At the time, they were hidden from our view, but now we see them clearly and unmistakably.

We see how the addiction changed us into someone more beautiful – giving us a destiny and a viewpoint about life we could have never had without it.  We see how the poverty and lack has turned us into a more giving, generous person.  Looking back, we can see how the rejection has made us more compassionate, how the loneliness drew us closer to God, and how the disease helped us realize what was most important in life.

At the time, those things didn’t feel like blessings, but they were.  God, in His loving and gracious way, has pulled back the vail…giving us a glimpse into how hidden blessings work.

Think about what might be happening behind the scenes at this exact moment right now in your life?  What is God up to?  What hidden blessings are you currently in the process of benefiting from – things you have no idea are working out in your behalf?

In your quiet time tonight, as you look through your list of overt blessings thanking God for all He has done in your life, take time to contemplate all the hidden blessings. They are just as real and just as valuable as those you experience daily.

May God give you the eyes of faith that are necessary to contemplate them and may He give you the gift of discernment – being able to see how past hardships were truly hidden blessings in disguise. 

God bless 🙂