Last night when I woke up around 1:30 and could not go back to sleep, a question occurred to me: “Why?” But it was not what you might think. I wasn’t asking God why I have problems sleeping all night, or why other people have more things than I do, or something like that. I was asking God, “Why have I been so blessed?”

When I asked that question, I remembered a couple that were members of Grace when I arrived to serve that congregation in 1988. They had been members of that church for about 40 years at that point, and married to each other for over 50 years already. I was privileged to know them for more than 20 years, and attended their 70^th anniversary party. I visited both of them many times in the hospital over the years. Once, when I was visiting her in the hospital, their 66-year-old son from another city was there. He was about to leave and drive a few hours home. She held on to her son’s hand, looked her husband in the eye, and said, “Give him some gas money!”  And she was serious.

They were a lovely couple, and their faith in Jesus as their Savior was obvious. I bring them up becase the question that occurred to me in the middle of the night was one that this man asked me constantly in my visits with him. He was almost bewildered when he asked, “Why have I been so blessed?”  I have a new appreciation of that question now that I have reached a more advanced age.

When I asked that question, the words of Psalm 116 popped into my head:

Psalm 116:12 How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?

The answer is, “I cannot.” Just consider all that He has done for me. Luther wrote about it this way in his explanation to the Apostle’s Creed:

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

That is a lot of stuff. But that is just the physical things. Luther wrote more on how God provides and blesses us:

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.

 I think the hymn writer summed up my thoughts pretty well.

How can I thank Thee, Lord, For all they loving-kindness,
That Thou hast patiently Borne with me in my blindness?
When dead in many sins And trespasses I lay,
I kindled, holy God, Thine anger every day.

It is Thy work alone That I am now converted;
O’er Satan’s work in me Thou hast Thy pow’r asserted.
Thy mercy and Thy grace That rise afresh each morn
Have turned my stony heart Into a heart new-born.

I could but grieve Thee, Lord, And with my sins displease Thee;
Yet to atone for sin My works could not appease Thee.
Though I could fall from grace And choose the way of sin,
I had no strength to rise, A new life to begin.

But Thou hast raised me up To joy and exultation
And clearly shown the way That leads me to salvation.
My sins are washed away, For this I thank Thee, Lord;
And with my heart and soul All dead works are abhorred.

Grant that Thy Spirit’s help To me be always given
Lest I should fall again And lose the way to heaven;
That He may give me strength In mine infirmity
And e’er renew my heart To serve Thee willingly.

Oh, guide and lead me, Lord, While here below I wander
That I may follow Thee Till I shall see Thee yonder.
For if I led myself, I soon would go astray;
But if Thou leadest me, I keep the narrow way.

O Father, God of Love, Hear Thou my supplication;
O Savior, Son of God, Grant my Thy full salvation;
And Thou, O Holy Ghost, Be Thou my faithful Guide
That I may serve Thee here And there with Thee abide.

(The Lutheran Hymnal #417)