“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings – name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

This song has always been one of my favorites, and as I have matured as a Christian it has become even more dear. 

This song is a sweet and poignant reminder of the peace and spiritual shelter the faithful Christian finds in the arm of God. Through any struggle and through every joy, God walks by our side, supporting and sharing in every moment of our lives.  

It is easy to see God in happy or successful times. When we get that job we were wanting, when we have a great group of friends that always make us feel so good, or when we are doing well in school without much struggle. During these times, it is easy to feel very “put together”, or proud of ourselves for all the good things that are happening to us. We have every right to be filled with joy and pride when good things happen to us, God wants us to find value in the good things He gives us, but He also wants credit for these blessings. 

James writes through inspiration: ”Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” – James 1:17 Paul by inspiration writes in Romans 1:21: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

God wants us to be thankful and to praise him for every blessing He gives to us. Praise also helps us battle worldly pride, because when we praise God, we surrender our ownership to the blessing and simply acknowledge the one who gave it.  

But what about the times that are not so good? When we hit that part of the semester where our grades begin to slip, our friends seem distant, our anxiety and loneliness seem unbearable, or when we have so much on our plate of life that we feel it might break from the strain. Where is God then? It doesn’t seem like it, but He is in the same place he has always been, standing right beside us. “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” – Psalms 145:18

It is hard to ‘feel’ that God is near when we are hurting because we so closely associate Him with all good things that we forget he is as much God of the storm as He is God of the rainbow after. Even when we cannot ‘feel’ God’s presence, we must rely on our faith to KNOW that He is there regardless of what we feel. The Spirit through Paul reminds us that “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 There is nothing except our own sin that will separate us from the loving shelter of God, but this doesn’t mean that we will always ‘feel’ His presence. This is why we must “walk by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7

No one enjoys hurting, typically most will do anything they can to make the hurt go away as soon as possible, such as taking ibuprofen for an ache or Tylenol for a fever. When it is the heart that hurts, we go to a friend and seek their support or advice to help us work through the hurt, but where should we go for the trials life throws at us? The apostle Paul says through inspiration: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

This is A LOT easier said than done, how are we supposed to be thankful when all I can feel is pain and emptiness? When we remember the blessings that God has already given us and meditate on the better things we have in our life, it allows us to put our trials into perspective therefore easier to bear. It does not mean they will feel any less heavy, but it will defend against being consumed by our trials. This is not minimalizing the pain or “ignoring my struggles to make it not seem so bad”, instead it is taking into account my entire situation and allowing me to see my life as a whole more clearly without the haze of self-pity and misery. 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Penned by Paul during a time in his life when painful struggles were an almost daily occurrence. This was written to the Christians in the city of Corinth who were likely facing persecution as well as many sins within the church. While we do not face that level of persecution today, we are all encouraged to look beyond the fleeting moment – however eternal it may feel – toward the reward that will make all of this worth it. 

We must be careful not to slip into simply ignoring all that bad and pain in this world for the joy we look forward to. Living life with rose-colored glasses is not only bad for you mentally but can also be spiritually damaging. We cannot simply choose to ignore all the bad or uncomfortable things around us and choose to just see/hear what we want to. As Christians, we have to be able to see both the good and bad in our lives and those around us, or we will never improve or sustain a desire for heaven. We must be able to see and accept both parts of this earthly life and choose to look for and value the blessings over the “billows.”

What are some practical ways to prepare ourselves to look for our blessings, and to focus higher through all seasons in our Christian life? 

James outlines one of my favorites in James 5:13: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” Singing and remembering song is one of my favorite ways to commemorate or process things in my life. 

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 This one is much easier said than done, but striving to let go of the need to grasp control of the parts of our lives that we have no buisness holding onto is a great way of preparing for times in our life when we lose control and hardships come. 

“Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,” – Hebrews 5:7

Even the very Son of God still went before the throne of His Father in Heaven regularly both in joy and in suffering, and was heard because of His faithfulness and reverence. 

“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” – John 4:34

Jesus was satisfied when He served on behalf of the Father, one way we can strengthen our own faith in both God and ourselves is by going out and serving others and teaching the gospel on behalf of the Father. 

“So amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged- God is over all; Count your many blessings- angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.”

What can I learn from this song/passage?

When I go through trials, when I’m tired, scared, battling my storms, when the devil makes me anxious, I need to remember the blessings that God has already given me, to meditate on the better things in my life. This is not minimalizing my pain or “ignoring my struggles to make it not seem so bad”, instead it is taking into account my entire situation and allowing me to see more clearly without the haze of self-pity and misery. 

Living life with rose-colored glasses is not only bad for you mentally but can also be spiritually damaging. We cannot simply choose to ignore all the bad or uncomfortable things around us and choose to just see/hear what we want to. As Christians, we have to be able to see both the good and bad in our lives and those around us, or we will never improve or sustain a desire for heaven. 

But the opposite is also true, we cannot live life like an Eeyore, only seeing or seeking the gloom and misery in life. We must be able to see and accept both parts of this earthly life and choose to look for and value the blessings over the “billows”. 

Ephesians 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,”

Matthew 6:25-34 – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Philippians 4:4-7 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Psalms 34:12-15 – What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.”

Matthew 5:45 – “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

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Ruth Johnson

Hey! My name is Ruth Johnson. I am going into my senior year at Freed-Hardeman University, where I am studying to become a financial planner. I have been a Christian for 8 years, and my favorite outreach is working with kids and teen girls ?.
My hobbies include crafting, cooking/grilling, and hiking. Spending time with my friends is my favorite way to do anything. My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:6-8. It reminds me that God's peace is always greater if I so seek it. I can't wait to see what all good comes from Beyond The Foam!

Latest posts by Ruth Johnson (see all)

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