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On a recent afternoon—with plenty of things to do—I chose to lay those aside for a little while and spend some time with Raegan out in the backyard. She sat in the swing and giggled as I pushed her; those pearly white teeth were shining as she laughed and her beautiful hair flowed in the breeze as we spent time together. We took a little ride around the yard on the lawn mower and her thrill was evident as she sat on my leg and helped me drive. Moments like that surely cause me to ask “Who am I to have such treasures in my life?” It is a reminder that I am a recipient of God’s goodness and grace.

Even though this has been a challenging year and we all have had to make various adjustments to our usual routines, we are blessed—blessed as a nation and blessed as individuals. I think we should entertain the thought that King David in the Old Testament conveyed a long time ago as he expressed himself with this thought: “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far?” (2 Samuel 7:18, New International Version).

The king conveyed that thought during a time of peace and prosperity. Not only did he acknowledge how God had provided and blessed him at that time, but he rested certain that God’s goodness would continue as he and the people of God followed the way of the Lord. In verse 19 he stated, “And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O Sovereign Lord, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?”
Why was David so blessed of God? Being selected to become a powerful king was probably not what he expected as a youngster when he was tending his father’s sheep. Yet when the prophet of God came to David’s father’s house searching for the one that God would choose to become the next king of Israel, David was the least likely choice from a human perspective, but God had other plans. God’s choosing a shepherd boy to pull together a unified nation and lead it to great victory paints a picture of God’s grace; it was not an arrangement that was earned, but one graciously designed by God. When we consider the various ways we are blessed, we must never forget that it is the result of His grace, goodness, and love, and not by our deserving it.

Certainly we are not all just like King David in popularity and position, yet we are all as valuable in the sight of God as he was. No matter where we are or what our status in life, God knows where we are and He has a plan for us. As Chuck Swindoll wrote, “In our Lord’s eyes, no one is ever too little; no one is ever too lost.” The same grace of God that brought David out of the sheep pasture and to the throne of Israel is the same grace that He extends to us. In light of that grace, we should all ask ourselves “Who am I that God should show such concern for me?” It might be fairly easy to consider that thought when we think about the good things of life, but what about on the bad days and seasons of life when things are far from pleasant? Even then, if we have our faith in Jesus Christ, we can remember who we are in Him and find courage to face whatever difficulties come our way.