"Has God weakened your ability to sin, denied you the opportunity, taken away the object of your lust, or diverted your thoughts? Be sure that you have received mercy in this. If God had not so dealt with you, you might by now be a terror to yourself, a shame to your family, and under the punishment due to some notorious sin. You would have incurred additional guilt, perhaps ruined others, or caused some to be eternally ruined by your example. All this has been prevented by these providences and eternity will witness that this is a special mercy. These are not accidents. The merciful hand of God is in them. And you are less wicked than you would otherwise be." John Owen
How often do we consider God's providential interference with our flesh? How often do we, in prayer, thank and praise Him for intruding into our lives so that we can avoid offending Him?
How may times has a lost minute, a traffic light, a phone call, a cable outage, some interruption kept us from sin.
I don't think we consider this very often at all. But there are no small mercies, no small blessing and this is one that we somehow don't see and certainly we don't give thank for.
Our consciences both spiritual and social may keep us from the "biggies" but it in God's providence none the less. And when our consciences are diverted, when we are distracted from our service to Him it is His gracious providence that hedges us in, redirects our glance, halts our tongues, stops our train of thought.
When you pray don't forget these mercies, these blessings. You may not have any specific thing to thank Him for but He knows where He has provided even if you don't. Praying for those unknown - unseen mercies will bring depth and joy to your prayers. They will also serve to make your conscience more tender so you will begin to see them and count them wonderful.
Indeed, even when we are unaware, "There but for the grace of God go we."
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