Inspiration Profile

 

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.

 

Reff:

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

 

The hymn ”Count Your Blessing” in hymnal number 439 is given the title, ”When Cyclone K’ras Hits Your Life”. The poem was written by Johnson Oatman, Jr. Looking at the name, one understands that his father Johnson Oatman must have had the same name as his son. His father, Johnson Oatman, Sr, was the idol of his son, Johnson Oatman, Jr. The father was a successful merchant and a faithful church member. He had a good voice, and his church members loved to hear him sing at his church. Not surprisingly, little Johnson, who was born in the United States in 1856, liked to stand on the pew during church services, so he could sing along from his father's hymnbook.

 

As he began to grow up, Johnson Oatman, Jr. wanted to emulate his father as a church singer. But it turned out that he was not blessed with a good voice like his father. So the young man desired to serve God in other ways, and was even ordained as a pastor. However, it seems that he lacked talent as a preacher, so he did not serve as a permanent pastor of the congregation. Only occasionally was he given the opportunity to fill the pulpit here and there.

 

It didn't matter to Johnson Oatman, Jr. because he didn't lack for sustenance. He continued to work alongside his father as a merchant, and they both made more than enough money. However, the son still felt disappointed. He asked himself: was it fate that he would not be able to match his father in terms of serving the Lord?

Talent discovered

At the age of 36, Johnson Oatman, Jr. discovered the talent God intended for him. He began composing hymns. His work quickly became popular. Famous singers, who were often involved in mass evangelistic campaigns, asked Johnson Oatman, Jr. to continue writing verses that they could set to music. And so he continued to write, composing not just dozens, or hundreds, but thousands of hymns!

 

Johnson Oatman, Jr. did not demand any payment for his compositions. But the Christian music publishers felt it was inappropriate for them to continue utilizing his work without some sort of return to the composer. So he finally relented: "Oh, well, then just pay a dollar per song!" he said.

 

Over his lifetime, Johnson Oatman, Jr. never achieved great success as a church singer or preacher. However, through his songs, he continues to be a blessing and touch the hearts of many people around the world, despite his own death in 1922.

 

In 1897, five years after he began composing hymns, Johnson Oatman, Jr. composed a verse that soon became a favorite and ubiquitous song of choice. It is a song about counting blessings, which in the hymnal is given the title: When the Cyclone K’ras Hits Your Life. The verse invites all of us to remain energized and hopeful in the midst of life's disappointments, challenges and difficulties.

 

Take a look at the first stanza below:

When a typhoon k’ras through your life, when despair and weariness weary

God's blessings  one by one, you will be amazed by His love.

Refrein:

Bless God, let's count them, you ’ll be amazed by His love.

Bless God let's count, you will be amazed by His love.

 

The third stanza invites us to be more grateful. Instead of envying the blessings and treasures that others have, we are encouraged to remember that the eternal blessings in heaven are worth more than anything. In today's terms: there is no need to compare.

When you look at other people's treasures, remember the promise of Christ which is more precious

.

Count your blessings unspent, your treasure in heaven beyond measure

Refrein:

Bless God, let's count them, you ’ll be amazed by His love.

Bless God let's count, you will be amazed by His love.

 

A great evangelist once said, "This song of counting blessings has at various times been sung by men, sung by young people, and even used by mothers as a lullaby."

 

Who is the author of the melody of the verse so that it becomes a song of praise that awakens the spirit and passion of life?

 

Repentant Wall Worker

Edwin O. Excell (1851-1921) was born in the United States into a pastor's family. After completing his basic education, he became a bricklayer. Outside of his regular work as a bricklayer, he moonlighted as a music teacher.

 

Due to his musical prowess, Edwin Excell was asked to lead the congregational singing for a Revival Service. As he was performing his duties, he realized that despite his involvement in the ministry, he had never confessed to the Lord Jesus personally. So he repented and believed. After that, Edwin Excell became more active in serving God. He began to promote the Sunday School and often led music for worship services or festive gatherings attended by Sunday School students. He also collected hymn books from various sources. He himself began to compose both verses and songs from the hymns. The hymn books and songs he composed, he compiled and re-booked so that they could be used by many people.

 

One of Edwin Excell's melodies has been matched with a verse by Johnson Oatman, Jr. and is now famous as the song "Count your Blessing. For decades Edwin Excell often led congregational singing in giant evangelistic campaigns. In fact, when he died in 1921, he was on a ministry trip in a city far from where he lived.

 

What a wonderful thing, to be called home to heaven just as he was busy in the work of the Lord. Both Johson Oatman, Jr. and Edwin O. Excell would count this as one more of God's blessings that they received and are worth counting! Since professing faith and surrendering their lives to Christ, they have never worried about how God would guide and ordain the end of their lives.

The closing section of the song ”Count your Blessing ” illustrates exactly how we should live our lives:

In your struggles in the world, do not worry, God is!

Count your blessings all the days of your life, rest assured, angels are with you!

Refrein:

Bless God, let's count them, you ’ll be amazed by His love.

Bless God let's count, you will be amazed by His love.

 

We who have experienced the tension and misery during the Covid-19 Pandemic should be grateful for His blessings and provision until today. It turns out that God has never left us. There is still a chance to count His blessings every day. Even in gloomy times, His angels are always with us and guarding us. God is always with us. Immanuel.

 

Source:
Song history selections from Hymnal Volume 3. Baptist Literature Institute.

Congregational Song. Church Music Foundation.