10,000 Reasons

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes"

-Matt Redman, "10,000 Reasons"- 

I am not a huge fan of modern choruses.  Hymns get my vote 100% of the time; I think they are full of sustainable "meat" and not "fluff".  But, every once in a while a chorus will come along that really hits me.  "10,000 Reasons" is one of those- it has been playing on my iPod and in my head for about three weeks now.  If you're unfamiliar with it, click the link to hear it.

Even though each dawning day brings with it a new song, I find that in my life it seems to carry with it the refrain of yesterday as well.  
Most days I can think of ten thousand reasons to be sad, anxious, worrisome, fearful, and overwhelmed with the negative aspects of life.  Just one glance at the top headlines, one phone call from a upset friend, or one personal failure is enough to cause my heart to sing a song composed primarily of diminished and half-diminished sevenths that are slow to resolve.  Sure, for a moment I have no trouble singing a song full of perfect harmony, but that moment ends all too soon.  

"Whatever my pass, and whatever lies before me."  THIS is the line of the song that really challenges me.  That no matter what happens around me, God is unchanging and there is always a reason to worship Him and to be thankful.  

This particular song throws out the number 10,000.  In an interview, the author of the lyrics, Matt Redman, said the following about that number: "With anyone or anything else, that would be an outrageous overstatement.  With Jesus, it is a huge understatement." (click here to read full interview)  Last week, as I was driving, I started really thinking about the boast of 10,000 reasons.  

My initial thought was that 10,000 is a huge number...that if there really was 10,000 reasons to bless the Lord, I couldn't possibly do anything but trust Him and live in a constant state of feeling grateful.  Just as quickly as these thoughts came to mind, the Holy Spirit quickened my spirit and reminded me that His mercies are new EVERY day and that the reality of it all is that 10,000 probably doesn't even skim the surface of His daily blessings.  The extremest part of me then kicked in with a challenge- to see if I could even come up with both ten thousand different reasons for my heart to sing AND if my perspective of God would change in the process.

Did you know that at a rate of 27 blessings a day, it would take me a full year to have a list of 10,000? 

So, I've decided to make a list of 10,000 blessings, reasons to sing and worship my God.  My goal is to add 27 things a day to the list.   His blessings are all around me, no matter how I feel or what I can see.  Jesus says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matt. 7:7)

I can't wait to see how God shows me His love as I seek it out and consciously look for it.  

The list can be found by clicking here:
10,000 Reasons
Or, you can go to my blog's main page and click where it says "10,000 Reasons" at the top.

I will be updating daily, but am not going to write them in my daily posts.  Instead, I will just attach the link to the bottom of each post for those wanting to see what's new.  The link will take you straight to the page if you click it.

Addendum:
The text of this song was inspired by Psalm 103.  It is very beautiful and a great reminder of the love of God.  I encourage you to take the time to read it!