For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future all are yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods. Awake, do not reject us forever. 1 Chron 23:13. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. He also promised Abraham that he would become a blessing to all who would bless him. It can range from getting a new girlfriend, a new job, or a pay raise, to finding a ten-dollar bill on the sidewalk or getting surprisingly good news. Somehow, in Gods perfect plan and according to Gods promises, Gods blessings would not come apart from suffering. I will take away sickness from among you. While not a pleasant experience in itself, suffering can be the source of comfort and assurance. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. If we would understand what in the world God is doing in these days, we must understand what the Bible teaches about divine blessing. Indeed, this is how many translations of the Bible, including the New King James Version, translate Paul's statement to the Galatians: "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made" . The accursed were those who were rich, well-fed, and happy. Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart. Blessings, Physical Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. But first, let me lay down a principle that has helped me grasp why there is such a preponderance of earthly blessings promised in the Old Testament like the inheritance of land (Psalm 37:22), deliverance from our enemies (Psalm 41:1), fruitfulness in our families and in our fields (Genesis 17:20; 48:34) while in the New Testament, there are very few earthly blessings promised, but rather afflictions are promised, with the material, physical blessings largely postponed until the resurrection. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:7-18). But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 1:9,10). May it not be said of us that our faith is too small, or to help us to look to You, to see in You, Your infinite power. He blesses only Christians spiritually and eternally. Judaisms errors concerning divine blessings can be summed up in these statements. No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. When we understand the difference between Gods temporal blessings and His eternal blessings, we learn to expect suffering and trials as a part of His plan, and as a part of His program to bring about eternal blessing for us. Luke 6:20-28; 16:19-31 Like Lot, we find our righteous souls vexed by sin (2 Peter 2:7-8). . But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, Write, for these words are faithful and true. And He said to me, It is done. (5) God is able to bless men because He has borne their curse in Christ, and thus His holiness is maintained in His grace (see Romans 3:24-26). Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? - Numbers 6:24-26. When Christians suffer for Christs sake, it is a blessing. You do not have to fear the future when God's hand is over your life. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14:12-14 (NIV), You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. When Jesus began to teach His disciples concerning His coming rejection, suffering, and death in Jerusalem, even His disciples reacted. As we study the promised blessings of God, my hope is that the present pleasures of this life will fade in the light of the glory awaiting us. If suffering is meant to result in our spiritual growth, in a deeper level of commitment, and in greater intimacy and communion with our Lord, we must accept suffering as a part of Gods good and perfect plan for our lives, one purposed to result in our good, in a blessing for us. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. He protects them and keeps them alive; he publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies. Psalm 41:1-2 (LB). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. (2) Gods curse is the process of bringing about mans deserved retribution of divine judgment. The true view of temporal blessing seeks the enjoyment of Gods presence whether in pain or pleasure. There will always be some among you who are poor. Before one can receive . Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Bible Verses about Blessings - Blessed Scripture Quotes. And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? The Abrahamic covenant takes up the promise of blessing: Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your fathers house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. - 2 Corinthians 9:8 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. God was in no hurry to fulfill His promised blessings. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes." Psalm 41:1-2 (NIV) Joseph, one of the Bibles great heroes and a son of Jacob, suffered a great deal in his early life. Such suffering serves as a test of our faith and obedience as we see from Jobs experiences.99 Precisely at times like these, Gods people find their perspectives changing and discover Gods presence as their true source of blessing: Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. So theres the principle. They understood that the blessings God promised were not material, but spiritual, and that they were not temporal, but eternal. Eternal blessings are experienced by saints who have been transformed into the image of Christ, whose mortal bodies are left behind and who live in a new world free of sin, of Satan, and of the curse (see 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 21 and 22). 8. The Promised Blessings and Their Fulfillment in God's - Bible.org In everything [not just some thingsand not just spiritual things] give thanks: for this is thewill of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (I Thes. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. (7) The majority of the Jews in Jesus day concluded that Jesus could not be the promised Messiah because He failed to meet their expectations and desires. Steps. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Thats the orientation of Jesus Christ the king. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. By faith, these saints conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises,103 shut the mouths of lions, received their dead back to life, and so on. He said, "I am the God that healeth thee." . Email: berean@bereanbiblesociety.org This shall never happen to You. But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! But what does it mean to truly be blessed according to Scripture? May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. This is the profession of Job: And he said, Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return there. (2) The Jews thought of Gods blessings in primarily physical and material terms and not in spiritual terms. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Gods own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:3-14). Eternal blessings are full and complete, the enjoyment of physical and material prosperity, the full manifestation of Gods goodness and glory, and the absence of sin, Satan, death, and the curse. TopicalBible They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. (3) Gods blessing is opposed to cursing. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. J When Israel turned from God, the promised cursings came. Later Judah and his brothers suffered much over their ill-treatment of Joseph (see Genesis 37-45). Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. To be spiritual they say is the assurance of earthly pleasures; to be sinful is to bring upon oneself pain and suffering. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? Jesus turned the teaching of the Jews upside-down. The Israelites were greatly blessed in number while they sojourned in Egypt (Exodus 1:5-7). And I think one of the most illumining texts about how we are blessed as Christians which we are; I would say we are infinitely blessed is 1 Corinthians 3:2123. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. And as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. For example, in Luke 14:1314, he said, When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. I love Jesuss logic: You will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Verse Concepts. Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. We will experience Gods comfort: They shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4). He looked for a heavenly city, a city which God would prepare. A Psalm of David. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Gods national blessings and cursings were conditional. It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Thy statutes (Psalm 119:71). 1. He points them to the true blessings which are in Christ. (9) Blessing or cursing are not necessarily evident in the means God employs to produce His desired goal. All of this made no sense to the Jews. It is I who answer and look after you. OpenBible.info To have enough faith is to have the means to move God into blessing us as we think best, they say. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. Ezekiel 44:30 (NIV), Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you. Deuteronomy 16:17 (NIV), Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on is word he meditates day and night. If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or extended our hands to a strange god; Would not God find this out? Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me (Psalm 119:75). While the Old Testament records many instances in which Israel suffered for their sins, texts like this one in Psalm 44 indicate there are times when Gods people suffer innocently, for His sake (see verse 22). The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. Publisher: OpenBible.info. Spiritual Growth And Physical Blessing - Sermon Central We begin to make decisions and to pursue a course of action which takes away the pain. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. Psalm 41:1-2 (NIV), Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. Luke 11:28 (NIV), Im eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. 5. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, Behold, we are your servants. But Joseph said to them, Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? Divine blessing certainly is not well understood. Labs Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! These six blessings summarize what it means to live forever under the kingdom, the heavenly rule of God: So in summary, (1) the presence of God seen and enjoyed in the face of Christ, (2) covering us with mercy because of all our sins, (3) calling us his children, (4) comforting us for all pain and loss in this world, (5) bequeathing to us the universe for a familiar homeland, and (6) everything set right in our souls and in the social order of the new world this is our great reward. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!. Now thats a different discussion, one initiated by a discerning listener to the podcast named Jordan. Almost daily, some bulk mailing assures me I am the lucky winner of one of several prizes. All I need do is contact them to identify my prize. The Hebrews were Christians who came out of Judaism by faith in Jesus Christ. They would do especially well to give careful thought to this text in Hebrews: And what more shall I say? Because all of Gods blessings are a gift of His grace, through the work of Jesus Christ, we have no basis for demanding His blessings. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128:1-2 (NCV), Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV), If they listen and obey God, then they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. Proud member He referred to a blessing found in Numbers that . We must see that in the midst of our suffering, we are drawn nearer to God, and recognize this as true blessing. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. Rainbow Vs Gorilla Playsets, Forgot Mother's Maiden Name Unemployment, Lamar Hawkins Brother Of Laroyce Hawkins, What Size Field Points For Ravin Arrows, Are Coyote Teeth Good Luck, Articles P
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