OUR PART IN GOD’S BLESSINGS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2023.

SUBJECT : OUR PART IN GOD’S BLESSINGS!

Memory verse: "Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments." (Psalm 112 vs 1.)

READ: Deuteronomy 28 vs 1 - 2; Psalm 34 vs 1, 8 - 10; Ephesians 1 vs 3 - 4; Second Corinthians 9 vs 8 - 9:

Deuteronomy 28:1: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth.

28:2: And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:; 

Psalm 34:1: I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

34:8: Oh taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

34:9: Oh fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

34:10: The young lions lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

Second Corinthians 9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

9:9: As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 

INTIMATION:

Blessing is a fortune, grace, or gift from God. Blessings are spoken of frequently in the Bible, don’t come from luck or chance, but come from God as a direct result of our thoughts and actions. God promises great blessings to His people, but many of these blessings require active participation on the part of the people. For instance, the Scripture says, “Give and it will be given to you”, Luke 6 vs 38. 

To be blessed is to have a share in the glory of God’s grace. Most people talk of being blessed with reference to good health, family, wealth, happiness, status, and material goods.

But if we look to the Bible, we can see that being blessed means something different entirely, and those who are truly blessed aren’t the ones you might expect. The Bible in Matthew 5 vs 5 -12 lists those who are blessed, which includes the meek, the righteous, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. These are the kind of characteristics that beget blessings from the Almighty. 

From this, we can understand that a blessing isn’t a simple stroke of good fortune but rather a state of being that exemplifies Christianity’s compassionate principles. In this sense, you’re already blessed if you’re forgiving, kind, just, joyful, and peaceful. And by inhabiting a kindly Christian nature, you open yourself up to more spiritual blessings, like forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, the power to do God’s will, and ultimately, salvation—the greatest blessing that will bring you to heavenly places. 

So, how does one get to be ‘blessed’? What are the practical actions and steps you must take to openly receive God’s blessings? In Psalm 34, the Bible says, He will set us free from fears, deliver us from trouble, guard and defend us, show us goodness, supply our needs, listen when we call on Him, and redeem us. And we can appropriate these blessings when we have the fear of the Lord in us, seek Him, cry out to Him, trust Him, refrain from lying, turn from evil, do good, search for peace, and serve Him. 

Beyond living your life as a good Christian, there are the ways in which you can open yourself up to receive an abundance of God’s grace. Bible study reveals more important instructions from the Lord on how to receive God’s blessings. Across the four canonical gospels and beyond in the New Testament, we are encouraged to surrender ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. This means: (1) Understanding the teachings of Christ. (2) Listening to the word of God. (3) Offering devotionals. (4) Giving as generously as we receive. (5) Asking God Himself for blessings (6) Maintaining your faith in the Lord God throughout your life. 

In one of the passages we read today, we are enjoined to keep His commandments. Many blessings are available to us—honor, prosperity, security, freedom from fear—if we fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands. If you expect God’s blessings, you must revere Him and gladly obey Him. The Bible often connects the fear of the Lord (love and reverence for Him) with obedience. King Solomon said that the conclusion of the matter on the whole duty of man is to “Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12 vs 13). 

The commandments of the Lord aren’t abstract rules scattered across the pages of the Bible. They’re clearly stated in Exodus and Deuteronomy of the Hebrew Bible in the form of the “Ten Commandments.” I urge us to be revisiting the commandments regularly and considering the ways in which you might be in violation of them. It is interesting to note that all the “Ten Commandments” are relationship based, none of them has anything to do with possessions or materialism.

We could deduce from the opening verses of the epistle of the apostle Paul to the saints in Ephesus that, in reality, we are already blessed. Earth’s creation and our redemption is a blessing of the Lord, without whom we wouldn’t be here. Therefore, we should remember to be grateful for our existence. The verse in the epistle to the Corinthians is a sobering reminder of God’s power and ability in blessing His creations. If you feel you aren’t receiving enough of God’s gifts, ask yourself, are you being righteous? In what ways can you bring yourself closer to Christian ideals?

God can provide to you all your needs and wants (Philippians 4 vs 19). His omnipotence and giving nature knows no limits, so you should never fear that what you have is all you will ever get. But to open oneself up to God’s blessings requires sturdy faith and commitment to the principles of Christianity: Remember to pray, be of a kind and compassionate nature, give generously, and be grateful. That gratitude should be not only for your mere existence but also to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Endeavor to always stay connected to God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit,

Certain things keep us from God’s ultimate blessings. These include; ungrateful hearts, not worshiping or submitting to Him, hardening our hearts, trying God’s patience because of stubborn doubts. Don’t harden your hearts, but reject the glamour of sin and anything else that would lead us away from God. Along with God’s blessings comes the responsibility to live up to His demands of fairness, honesty and justice. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of complete obedience to You, that I will do Your will and keep Your commandments at all times, and be Christlike in my conducts, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!