Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. In My Fathers house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. Living in the midst of a fallen world itself suffering from the curse of sin (Romans 8:18-25) results in a suffering of soul for the Christian. 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. One would not have chosen Abrahams life to illustrate blessing. A review of Jesus teaching about the kingdom of God and about the blessings of God explains why His teaching was found unacceptable by the Jews. But this command I gave them: Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? Where Moms Connect is a unique mom's ministry curriculum that brings women together and helps them connect naturally, through discussion, Bible study and fun. God was in no hurry to fulfill His promised blessings. What exactly do you believe those are?. F Your infinite glory, greatness, grander, majesty, and unlimited ability. Later Judah and his brothers suffered much over their ill-treatment of Joseph (see Genesis 37-45). The Jews thought of God's blessings in primarily physical and . Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! When Christians suffer for Christs sake, it is a blessing. Luke 6:20-28; 16:19-31 At the time of Sarahs death, the land of Canaan was possessed by the Canaanites (Genesis 12:6) and Abraham did not own any part of the promised land. It is the blessing which comes from faith in Jesus Christ and not from human effort or achievement. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. He looked for a heavenly city, a city which God would prepare. Abraham was one-hundred and sixty years old when Jacob and Esau were born. (2) The Jews thought of Gods blessings in primarily physical and material terms and not in spiritual terms. A Study of God's Plan for Man. Temporal blessings are incomplete and never without a measure of sorrow and suffering. In the Old Testament we find that while the righteous were those who believed Gods promise of blessing, they were also those who suffered innocently.100 David suffered for his sins (Psalm 32), but he also suffered innocently for the Lords sake (see Psalm 22). 102 This is not to say they do not believe in spiritual and eternal blessings, but only that their emphasis is on present material prosperity. These are the very ones who would be chided today for their lack of faith. Temporal blessings are experienced by sinners, living in a sin-cursed world. After David was anointed as Israels future king, and Sauls replacement, David spent his days fleeing for his life from Saul who was bent on killing him (1 Samuel 18-31). They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Abrahams life had its own trials. Paul answers in Ephesians 1:3: God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing every blessing that heaven can conceive for the eternal happiness of Gods people will be ours. Keep us, oh God, from trusting in our power. A Psalm of David. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE, we also believe, therefore also we speak; knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. John 3:16. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. Galatians 3 To those who equated wealth and ease with piety and the blessing of God, the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) was shocking and disturbing. For You make him most blessed forever; (9) Blessing or cursing are not necessarily evident in the means God employs to produce His desired goal. Paul says, "The world is yours. He also promised Abraham that he would become a blessing to all who would bless him. (5) What errors concerning divine blessing can we see in the Jews of old and also in Christians of today? Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. Theres nothing like that in the New Testament. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 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. The reason, we are told, is that God wanted them to enter into blessings with us, at the same time. Psalm 19:9. As we come to the study of divine blessing in our series, we begin by considering Gods promised blessings in the Old Testament. But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; My steps had almost slipped. The son was just the beginning. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT (Romans 4:3-8). You will be blessed when you come in and when you go out. G It is by blessing Him that we enjoy Gods blessings, rather than the curse of sin. For I was envious of the arrogant, As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Let no one boast in men. Blessings, Physical. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Many were the times in Israels history when God brought calamity upon His people due to their sins, yet the nation Israel never seemed to learn her lesson (see Psalm 78). Thats the New Testament pattern: sacrificial generosity and service now; spectacular blessing later at the resurrection. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Divine blessing refers to Gods purpose to bring about the good of an individual or nation, His proclamation of this purpose by His promise, and a program of bringing about this blessing which includes suffering and adversity. What an amazing promise--a promise which will surely be fulfilled! Your blessings in eternity will not. Arouse Thyself, why dost Thou sleep, O Lord? First and foremost, Gods blessing involves the forgiveness of our sins, the defeat and destruction of Satan, the passing away of that which is old and corrupted by sin, and the creation of that which is holy and acceptable. 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 is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. (3) The Jews thought of Gods blessings in terms of material prosperity and His cursings in terms of material adversity and physical affliction. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Thats the orientation of Jesus Christ the king. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. (3) What is the relationship between blessing, faith, and obedience? For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused,if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctifiedby the Word of God and prayer (I Tim. Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. 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. Selah. Why is that? Theres no great temple-like edifice in Christianity. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long, And chastened every morning. For example, Genesis 49:1 . Moms come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing's for sureall moms need to connect with other moms! And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. But that forgiveness is not always guaranteed, and is usually conditional on our repentance. For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee. This is the profession of Job: And he said, Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return there. Through suffering we are blessed in many ways: And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5). I call that the showcasing of the blessing of God on the people of God in the Old Testament. Abrahams life was not one of uninterrupted bliss, yet he was blessed of God in every way (Genesis 24:1). We will experience Gods comfort: They shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Yet our prayers betray us. We will see God: They shall see God (Matthew 5:8). Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with others in need. Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (NLT), Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in his times of trouble. They are His to give; they are also His to withhold. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. In the context of prayer, Paul prayed that he might have theLords prospering on his physical journey to visit the saints atRome (Rom. 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" . But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Since the Mosaic covenant spelled out Gods blessings and cursings in this way in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-30, this is not difficult to understand. (2) Gods curse is the process of bringing about mans deserved retribution of divine judgment. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Awake, do not reject us forever. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3). But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. As it is written, He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Thy works (Psalm 73:1-28). He leads me beside still waters. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools.
The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. God does not promise to make us wealthy but that our relationship with Him will prosper. Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6, 13-20; 17:15-21; 26:24; 27:27-29; 28:12-15; 47:9 In Genesis 22:16-18, God again blesses Abram, and adds that blessing is due to his obedience to God's commands. If we get hungry for God and follow his commands if we seek spiritual growth, physical blessing will follow. The suffering of some saints should be no more troublesome to us than the success of some saints, or even the success of some sinners. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface: "It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. This leads us right into the fourth blessing ( Ephesians 1:7 ), the redemption through His blood. This is one of the reasons Jesus teaching and His offer of the kingdom was rejected. Put the bounce back in my step, the smile back on my face, and the dance back in my feet. You have entered an incorrect email address! (14) God blesses all men physically and materially in this life out of His common grace. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21). 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. We will be co-owners of the whole world: They shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). E Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, Thou wilt despise their form. Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (4) God has the right to bless or to curse men (see Romans 9:19-21). So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. Storing up spiritual treasures in heaven is far more important than physical prosperity. His teaching was different not as the result of a change in Gods plan, but due to the Jews misconceptions concerning Gods promised blessings. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessings that we receive, whether material or spiritual, all have to do with the coming of God's Kingdom, whether here and now in small glimpses, or eternally when God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5, Isaiah 43:19). When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. The Israelites of Jesus day also held a distorted view of divine blessings. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. The difference between these two categories is not that one group has faith while the other does not. 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 that about wraps it up. The writer to the Hebrews differs with such thinking. He blesses men out of His grace and curses out of His holiness. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. This is what it means to be truly blessed. But Jesus taught us explicitly not to expect them now. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Thou dost give us as sheep to be eaten, And hast scattered us among the nations. They think of Gods blessings primarily in terms of that which is physical and material.102 They believe that because Christ has come, every promised blessing can be ours, now, if we but believe and ask for them in faith. Psalm 24:5. Browse the best Bible verses about blessings in this collection of scripture quotes: Photo credit: GettyImages/Digitalskillet. 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. Here are 10 bible verses about unexpected blessings that will bring you peace and joy when you need it most. While not a pleasant experience in itself, suffering can be the source of comfort and assurance. So it is today. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The Bible teaches that all spiritual blessings are available only "in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). Humanly speaking, men are blessed or cursed on the basis of their response to Abrahams seed, Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:3; Psalm 24:3-6; 32:1-2; 84:4-5; 89:14-18; John 3:16-18; 14:6; Acts 3:26; Romans 4:6-8; Galatians 3:9, 13-16; 1 John 5:11-12). When affliction and adversity comes into our life, we conclude that suffering is incompatible with blessing. You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. J Joseph, one of the Bibles great heroes and a son of Jacob, suffered a great deal in his early life. When we struggle with sin and the flesh (Romans 7), we know it is because we have become a new creation in Christ. Last week Art Lindsley referenced Hebrew poetry found in the Bible to give a more complete picture of flourishing. 1 Peter 2:21; 3:8-9, 13-17; 4:1, 14-16 He suffered because of his impatience in acquiring a son through Hagar. These blessings are not fulfilled in this life, but in the next. . And is there knowledge with the Most High? Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. The Israelites were greatly blessed in number while they sojourned in Egypt (Exodus 1:5-7). But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you Luke 6:20-28). Satan, once our master, has now become our enemy. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. 9:11 (CEV), Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13 (NIV), They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Psalm 37:26 (NIV), The best of all the first fruits will belong to the priests. Your basket and your kitchen will be blessed. Ephesians 1:3-14 Z. The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 3) states summarily the ground of thanksgiving, expanding it with glowing fullness in vers. Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart. And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. And put them to use so you will be able ,Be prepared. . Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! So death works in us, but life in you. (Marriage and children are both a blessing, but neither is without its trials and suffering.) (7) Divine blessing is based upon divine grace and not human merit or effort. 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 That is why God blessed him. Jeremiah 22:15 (NLT), Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. 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! Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Notice that every creature of God is good;that is, every piece of beef, chicken, pork, fish or shellfish weeat is good and not to be withheld as unclean today. 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. The blessings here are plainly associated with happiness and welfare, both for Abram and others. Perhaps the most puzzling passage in the Old Testament concerning Gods blessings comes from the Book of Proverbs: It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22). Yet Thou hast rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And dost not go out with our armies. Their numerical growth concerned the Egyptians and brought about a time of great persecution and affliction. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Bible Verses about Blessings - Blessed Scripture Quotes. Proverbs 15:6 says, "In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked there is trouble.". The point I wish to underscore here are the two very different categories of saints. Gods blessing is found in trusting and obeying God and in the resulting enjoyment (blessing) of His presence and fellowship. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
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