Count Your Blessings, Not Your Candles

Psalm 139:16 — “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Birthdays are more than candles and cake; they are reminders of God’s grace. The psalmist declared that our days are not random; they are counted, known, and purposed by our Creator. Every sunrise we have seen, every breath we have taken, every tear shed and every smile—all of it has been woven into the story God is writing through us.

A birthday is a moment to pause and read that story with gratitude. It is a reminder that even the chapters filled with pain or uncertainty are held in His hands, and that none of our days are wasted when entrusted to Him. To celebrate a birthday is to say, “Lord, thank You for bringing me this far.”

It is to trace the fingerprints of God’s faithfulness over another year and recognize that He is not finished yet. The One who numbers our days fills them with purpose and promises to walk with us through each one.

Every birthday whispers, “You are still here because God still has a purpose for you.” The years we have lived are not just numbers; they are testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

A birthday celebration is a pause to thank Him for that fullness—for lessons learned, for love given and received. It is a day to look back in gratitude and forward in trust. When we gather to celebrate someone’s birthday, we are saying far more than “Happy Birthday.” We are saying, “You matter.”

Each heartbeat is grace given, each year a gift to ponder, and every birthday a thank-you to the Giver of life.

— G. Yarian

Every Birthday says, “ God is not finished yet”