Count Your Blessings 数算你的恩典
Dexu Xia
All the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord. Ezra 3:11
Today's Scripture Ezra 3:1--11
Today's Insights The celebration recorded in Ezra 3:10-11 is significant. After decades of captivity on foreign soil, God’s people were back in their homeland in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy: “I will . . . bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you . . . and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:14). Though the work ahead of them would be long and hard, the presence of the temple foundation (Ezra 3:10-13) was a visible reminder that God had kept His promise. When we’re discouraged and facing severe obstacles, we can pause and recognize what God has done. Gratitude for His faithfulness helps us gain momentum for the future
Today's Devotional When I was a little girl, I loved the old hymn “Count Your Blessings.” The song encourages those who are “tempest-tossed” and “thinking all is lost” to “count your blessings, name them one by one.” Years later when my husband, Alan, was discouraged, he would often ask me to sing that simple song to him. Then I would help him to enumerate his blessings. Doing so took Alan’s focus off his struggles and self-doubt and centered his thoughts on God and his reasons for thankfulness.
The book of Ezra describes God’s people facing overwhelming challenges through focusing on God’s power and provision. After they’d endured decades of captivity in Babylon, King Cyrus allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Israel to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-2). Only a fraction returned (2:64). Despite their “fear of the peoples around them” and the great task before them, they rebuilt the altar and laid the temple’s foundation (3:3, 10). Then “with praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord” (v. 11).
If you’re discouraged or facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, turn your thoughts toward God. “Count your blessings . . . and it will surprise you what the Lord has done,” and continues to do, for those who love Him.
Reflect & Pray
How has counting your blessings helped you in a difficult situation? What are you thankful for? Dear God, please help me to be grateful and praise You for who You are and for all You’ve done.
By Alyson Kieda
众民都大声赞美耶和华。（以斯拉记 3:11）
今日经文：以斯拉记 3:1-11
今日洞见：以斯拉记 3章10-11节所记载的庆祝活动意义深远。在异乡被掳数十年后，神的子民终于回到故土，应验了耶利米的预言：“我必……领你们从被掳之地归回，从我所赶散你们的各国各地招聚你们……领你们回到我掳掠你们离开的地方。”（耶利米书 29:14）尽管摆在他们面前的工作漫长而艰辛，但圣殿地基的存在（以斯拉记 3:10-13）却是一个可见的提醒，表明神信守他的应许。
当我们灰心丧气、面临重重阻碍时，我们可以停下来思想神所成就的一切。让我们感谢祂的信实，从而帮助我们积蓄力量，迎接未来。
今日灵修：我小时候很喜欢那首古老的赞美诗《数算你的恩典》。这首歌鼓励那些“饱受风暴折磨，甚至感觉一切都完了”的人“数算上帝的恩典，要一一细数”。多年后，当我的丈夫艾伦感到沮丧时，他常常会让我给他唱这首简单的歌。然后我会帮他列举他所蒙的恩典。这样做能让艾伦不再专注于自己的挣扎和自我怀疑，而是将注意力集中在上帝那里，以及感恩的理由上。
以斯拉记描述了上帝的子民如何通过专注于上帝的大能和供应，来面对巨大的挑战。在巴比伦被掳数十年后，居鲁士王允许被掳的犹太人返回以色列重建圣殿（以斯拉记 1-2）。但只有一小部分人返回了（2:64）。尽管他们“惧怕四围的民族”，也面临着艰巨的任务，他们仍然重建了祭坛，为圣殿奠基（3:3, 10）。然后，“他们用赞美和感谢向耶和华歌唱：‘他是良善的，他向以色列的慈爱永远长存！’众民都大声赞美耶和华”（3:11）。
如果你感到沮丧或面临看似无法逾越的障碍，请将你的思绪转向神。“数算你的恩典……”，你会因主为那些爱他的人所成就的一切，以及他仍在继续为那些爱他的人所成就的一切无比惊讶。
反思与祷告 在困境中，数算恩典如何帮助你？你为什么感恩？亲爱的神，请帮助我心存感恩，赞美你的所是和所为。——艾莉森·基达