Blessings

How To Face Life Changing Events

Matthew 7:7-8

We all have had circumstances in our life that were “life changing events”. Some of these situations were negative, like loss of job, catastrophe to possessions such as home or cars, sickness or sudden death of loved ones. Some of these situations were positive such as job promotions, the birth of new family additions or financial gain. Good or bad all “life changing events” have one thing in common, the need for persistent action to make the adjustment. Matthew 7:7 reminds us of the path we can take when there are unexpected changes in life; “Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you.”

Unexpected “life changing events” requires “personal change” to adapt and move forward. We need to ask for the necessary tools to adapt to a “life changes”, we should seek new direction to accommodate “life changes” and most of all when God opens a door, we need to be receptive to the direction, the newly opened door is taking us. With God, every adversity has an open door. When God allows adversity and pain in our lives, we are usually being guided to a door of “God’s Blessing”, that we never would have discovered without the adversity.

Remember, in adversity or success, always knock on the door that God is leading you to and it will be opened.

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Do Right In Spite

Your losses  due to the evil of others may be your greatest blessings. Don’t give up on God. After the pain you will find success and will be a blessing to others. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” (Genesis 50:19-21)

 

Psalm 37:25 – Bible Verse and Reflection

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Psalm 37:25

Salvation through Jesus is my personal choice. No one can obtain salvation for me. However, many of my blessings were not due to my choices, but the faithfulness of my grandparents and parents to God’s word. I pray that my personal choices of following God bring blessings to my children and grandchildren.

Blessings are in your Care

 

“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much is demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:47-48)

God’s gifts are privileges. Be careful what you ask for and understand the Blessing in what you receive. All privileges (Blessings) from God,  require your care as the caretaker.  

 

The Profile of the Blessed

Psalm 1:1-6
In the first Psalm we are taught:
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he mediates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NIV)

To the Believer “being blessed” is our state of mind, in good and bad times. Being blessed is reflected in our attitudes and always in our behavior. Being blessed is a learned state that begins when we accept that Christ is our Savior. The state of blessing is amplified when we submit to His lordship/authority over our lives. For some Believers this state of blessedness and the recognition of it did not come until many years after professing that they were Christians.

Being blessed is an awakening; it’s a process at which we gradually arrive. We “get it” that we are blessed when we come to the realization that everything (good or bad) comes from or is allowed by God, our Father.

We don’t endure “being blessed.” We awake each day in this state of blessedness, bask in it several times during the day by recognizing that God’s hand is directing the events of our day. We thank God for it, and rest in this state of blessing as we sleep each night. We start this process over the next day and the next.

Blessings are added to and multiplied as we unselfishly give them to others. We are able to pass-on blessings through our smiles, greetings, and encouragement to others.

We are able to demonstrate being blessed by being patient with those who have not arrived at our level of blessedness, but have the potential to do so. We need to provide those whose “wings of faith” are underdeveloped with some growing space. We can risk damaging others and derailing the process when we mandate that others ought to recognize their blessings immediately. Because it is not us who provides blessings, we should be careful with our superior attitudes towards others who are slowly becoming aware. Being blessed is a “self-study” of our “individual blessing plan.”

A blessed attitude is one that does not murmur or complain about whatever God sends to us. We observe what God is doing, we study His Word, we apply what we see Him doing to our hearts in gratitude to Him, as we follow His directions.

The profile of the blessed, which ones of us can, fit the profile?

Prayer: Lord we thank you for showering us with new blessings each day.  We will continuously give you the praise. In your name, we pray. Amen.

 

Originally Released in Homewords Small Group Bible Study Ministry, Facebook group, September 22, 2010

A Prayer for Strength

Dear God, Sometimes it seems like as soon as you provide a major victory in my life, there is often an immediate flood of frustrating situations. It is as if something wants to stop me from giving you the praise you deserve. May I always be reminded that as I put more of my trust in you, challenges will arrive. May I also remember that the challenges are not the people or the personalities that they exhibit. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). May I always look for your blessings to be bestowed through these trying situations.  “For just as the sufferings of Christ flows into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows” (2 Corinthians 1:5 ). May I gain more strength from you as I go through the troubles into another victory. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.