You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. 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). Philippians 4:19 To be spiritual they say is the assurance of earthly pleasures; to be sinful is to bring upon oneself pain and suffering. 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. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. As Asaph protested centuries ago in Psalm 73, the wicked may prosper, and the righteous may suffer. How do you explain these errors? 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. 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). 101 See also Matthew 23:29-39; Acts 7:52. All of us deserve to suffer for our sins. TopicalBible 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. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Gods blessing is not based upon human merit or works, but upon His grace. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Put all the billionaires together. 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. 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. Put simply, Gods blessing does not mean that we are free to indulge in every sensual pleasure, but neither does it mean that we must deny every earthly pleasure. 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. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. The promised blessings of the Bible are the good which God has purposed and promised. of The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. And the failure to recognize this distinction between Gods plan for Israel in the Old Testament and Gods plan for the church in the New Testament has caused a lot of people to put way too much emphasis on earthly blessings today. Let that sink in. We will be shown mercy: They shall receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him . And put them to use so you will be able ,Be prepared. Yet Thou hast rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And dost not go out with our armies. But Peter was wrong for supposing that Gods blessings were incompatible with suffering. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. (19) Gods promised blessings do not assure us we will escape the wrath of men toward God, but only that we will escape the wrath of God toward men. 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. Q But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. Verse Concepts. Salvation is "in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:10). 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. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 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. How is it related to cursing? You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. God blesses the Christian by bearing our curse in the person of Jesus Christ. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 21:1-8). These are the very ones who would be chided today for their lack of faith. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. They are not experienced in time, but in eternity. Always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Well, normally we do rejoice in a merciful God who forgives. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If I had said, I will speak thus, Behold, I should have betrayed the generation of Thy children. Humble yourself as Jesus said: "Blessed are the 'poor in spirit': for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:3) Read this and the other eight blessings for you as they were explained by Jesus, in Matthew 5, which are keys to unlocking such personal blessings. For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds (Matthew 16:21-27). (6) Gods glory is revealed in both His blessing and His cursing (see Exodus 34:5-7). For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. The son was just the beginning. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. Neither do we have basis for complaint if and when He withholds His blessings. H They are based upon His sacrifice at Calvary but are realized in His coming to judge the earth: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. Lets circle back now to Jordans reference to the Beatitudes. Gods blessings are based upon His grace and not our works. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6, 13-20; 17:15-21; 26:24; 27:27-29; 28:12-15; 47:9 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. It is not that one group is more spiritual than the other. One only needs enough faith to be confident God hears and answers our prayers as we desire. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In all that he does, he prospers. Those who identified with Israel and Israels God would also be blessed, as God told Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). (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). (7) Divine blessing is based upon divine grace and not human merit or effort. Now the first thing we notice is that God lets us know that he is a healer. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still . U Proverbs 15:6 says, "In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked there is trouble.". Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!. Let no one boast in men. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Thats the orientation of Jesus Christ the king. (20) If Gods blessing cannot be equated with prosperity and ease, neither can it be said that His blessing is automatically associated with asceticism (denying ourselves of earthly pleasures). For what does the Scripture say? In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other. Romans 1:12 (NLT), You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. One would not have chosen Abrahams life to illustrate blessing. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. The great nation was still one seed, Jacob. 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. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. The plan of God is to bring about His own glory and the Christians good (or blessing). I love it. This is to be the pattern for the Christians dealings with others, including our enemies (Matthew 6:44-48; Acts 14:15-17; 17:30-31). These are not always material blessings, however. Bible prophecy reveals that the descendants of Esau will exist in the end time. You do not have to fear the future when God's hand is over your life. Or heres the way James puts it: Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him (James 1:12). . He was not only to be the son of Abraham but of Sarah as well (Genesis 17:15-21). (From Forerunner Commentary). But this command I gave them: Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. It is also only in eternity that the curse of God will be fully poured out on sinners. 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 ESV / 21 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. So it is today. Your blessings in eternity will not. Transcript Craig Scott Pastor, United Church of God 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. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. Psalm 112:1-9 (NIV), Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. Thus, his wait would have been more than twenty-five years. Abrahams life was not one of uninterrupted bliss, yet he was blessed of God in every way (Genesis 24:1). Do not fear what you are about to suffer. In this glorious anthem, in which the apostle, tracing all to the Divine Fountain, enumerates the glorious privileges of the Church, and blesses God for them, he first (ver. Theres no great temple-like edifice in Christianity. Gods promise to Abraham included a land and a seed. Abrahams seed was to begin with a son. What a verse! My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 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. But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 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). We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14:14 (NIV), Give freely and spontaneously. The rich man spent eternity in hell while Lazarus spent eternity enjoying the blessings God promised in Abraham. It is the blessing to which Abraham and every other Old Testament saint looked forward. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:32-40). For the Lord is a God of justice, blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 (NIV), Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV), The best of all the first fruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. I will take away sickness from among you. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Good will comes to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Tools. Berean Bible Society Our faith in God and in His promise will result in the obedience of faith (Genesis 17:9-14; Romans 4:9-24; Hebrews 11:13-31; James 2:14-26). Three Advantages You Gain From Trusting In God, i love belivers portal.very inspiring and informarive, Thanks for the efforts to compile this. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? 1 Peter 2:21; 3:8-9, 13-17; 4:1, 14-16 The term blessed is thrown around in our culture today, and its all over our Bibles too. (13) Adversity and suffering is not synonymous with sin and cursing. Temporal blessings are not to be measured so much in terms of material prosperity, physical health, or the absence of pain, as in the enjoyment of Gods presence. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that {the limb} which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:3-13). Put the bounce back in my step, the smile back on my face, and the dance back in my feet. 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. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. 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 will love you, bless you, and multiply you. The land of Canaan was not to be possessed until Abrahams offspring had been oppressed and enslaved for four hundred years. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Paul says, The world is yours. If we are a child of God, we know His eternal plan allows only those things into our lives which result in our ultimate and eternal good: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). For the Christian, good includes the blessing of all those who are the called in Jesus Christ. They suppose prosperity is ones reward for being spiritual and that suffering is the consequence of sin. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God (1 Peter 4:14-16). Divine blessing in the Bible is always physical and spiritual because it is fixed upon the reality of the fullness of life in the presence of God. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.. Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. 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. Whether God in His goodness enables us to succeed, or whether His grace enables us to endure our suffering, let us realize that God is able to make use of suffering to produce blessings. What exactly do you believe those are?. We now loathe that which we once loved. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. God gives rain and sunshine to men, and in His grace He delays judgment, giving opportunity for repentance. Their journey to the promised land held many trials. It does not tell us that he was seventy-five when he first received the promise of a son. For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. And he said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! This child was not merely an adopted heir, but Abrahams own son (Genesis 15:1-6). Gods temporal blessings are not inconsistent with suffering. Deuteronomy 28:1-68 ESV / 265 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. The Israelites of Jesus day also held a distorted view of divine blessings. (15) Since divine blessing is based upon the sovereign grace of God, we cannot demand it, and we dare not protest when Gods dealings with us do not appear to be a blessing. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her. John 14:1-3 Psalm 24:5. (2) The Jews thought of Gods blessings in primarily physical and material terms and not in spiritual terms. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. Proverbs 3:13-18 (NIV), The memory of the righteous will be a blessing. Proverbs 10:7 (NIV), He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:21 (NIV), Jesus said to his host, When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. Things were bad and about to get worse. And it shall come to pass, if thou . If His people forsook the Law, then earthly cursings were promised: See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. He leads me beside still waters. This is what it means to be truly blessed. What the Bible says about Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. God not only accomplished our salvation by the means of Christs suffering, but He uses suffering to draw men to Himself (Luke 6:20-23). James 1:2-5 Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply, And hast not profited by their sale. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. 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. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Blessings, Physical. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it (Jeremiah 18:7-10). Give, and it will be given to you. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Physical John 3:5 ESV / 23 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Phone: (262) 255-4750 The first group--those who succeeded by faith--are described in verses 32-35a. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 1:9,10). 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). Abraham may not have left Haran immediately which would mean that Abraham was younger when the promise of a son was first given to him. This is one of the reasons Jesus teaching and His offer of the kingdom was rejected. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 He makes me lie down in green pastures. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. They understood that the blessings God promised were not material, but spiritual, and that they were not temporal, but eternal. Your infinite glory, greatness, grander, majesty, and unlimited ability. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. The difference between these two categories is not that one group has faith while the other does not. Just a few - of many - New Testament texts make this clear: Mark 1:4-5 And so John the Baptist appeared . Gods earthly blessings were dependent upon Israels obedience to His Law. on 03/30/2021. Gods blessings took time to fulfill, and the process of fulfillment involved suffering and adversity. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The primary goal of Gods perfect plan is to demonstrate the glory of God. A Prayer for God's Power. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 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. In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. His desire was to demonstrate His blessings to all men so that men from every nation would seek blessing in Him. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. June 10, 2013. L When we suffer, we do not ask God for the mind of Christ, or the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we ask God to bless us by giving us a life free from the pain and sorrow we are currently experiencing.
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