Tag Archives: blessings

The Reason for God’s Blessing

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalms

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Reading:                                             Psalm 67

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him (NIV).

Reflection

This is perhaps the most evangelical of all the psalms. By that I mean there is good news in this psalm, and the good news of God’s loving-kindness, which is found here, is not to be kept to oneself. It is to be taken to the whole world. Twice within this short psalm the psalmist declares, “May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.”

IMG_20140722_132729

Like any loving parent, God draws pleasure from blessing his children. But is there a divine motivation that extends beyond the family of God? As the opening verse of this psalm makes clear, God desires to bless us, so that his ways and his salvation may be known all over this world.

So then, Psalm 67 should be our prayer, not only for us, but for the world. That includes the world that does not know Jesus. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

In other words, God’s blessing is not to be selfishly hoarded. It is to extend around the world and beyond the family of God. Is God in fact, blessing us abundantly, so that we may in turn bless others? Is he blessing us, so that we may make his salvation known among all nations? That certainly would appear to be the plan according to Psalm 67.

There is a great harvest day that is still coming on the earth. It is not a harvest of wheat, corn or rice, but a harvest of souls that will be swept into the Kingdom of God. If this psalm is to be believed, it is a harvest that is propelled and swelled by our joyous praise.

Is your thanksgiving for God’s blessing extending beyond the borders of your family?

Response: LORD God, I thank you for all the blessings you have showered on my life. Most of all I thank you for my salvation through Jesus Christ. Show me how I can extend your blessing to others. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you taken the message of God’s salvation across borders? How?

Who Delights Your Heart?

16 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Reading:                                     Psalm 37

(Verses 23-29)

The LORD makes firm the steps     

of the one who delights in him;

though he may stumble, he will not fall,     

for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I was young and now I am old,     

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken     

or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely;     

their children will be a blessing.

Turn from evil and do good;     

then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the LORD loves the just     

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;     

the offspring of the wicked will perish. 

The righteous will inherit the land 

and dwell in it forever. (NIV)

Reflection

According to Psalm 37 there is a string of blessings that is bequeathed to the righteous. We are kept safe—held secure in the palm of God’s hand. Furthermore these blessings are intergenerational. The children of the righteous are blessed, so they can be a blessing to their parents and others.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him (Psalm 127:3).

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him (Psalm 127:3).

As parents and grandparents can attest, children can be a great blessing, or if they are corrupted by rebellion and disobedience they can become a curse, making life difficult for all around them.

Much of the trouble in the world today is self-inflicted. By choosing the path of anger, selfishness and resentment, we heap sorrow on our own head. Conversely, if we choose to follow the LORD along the path of love, generosity and forgiveness, we set ourselves up to receive blessings from our heavenly Father.

Down through the ages, David’s admonition rings true: Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

 But God’s blessings rest on a premise, and here it is: The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.

 The question we need to continually ask ourselves is “Am I delighting myself in the LORD? Is He my chief joy in life? Do I hunger for His word and His presence in my life? Do I long for times of sweet communion with Him?

Response: LORD God, help me to delight myself in you. May I love what you love. Help me to position myself to receive your blessings. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you living proof of God’s intergenerational blessing on those who delight in Him?

How generous is your God?

21 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by in Psalm 31, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Reading:                                      Psalm 31

(Verses 19-20)

How abundant are the good things    

 that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you bestow in the sight of all,

    on those who take refuge in you.

In the shelter of your presence you hide them     

from all human intrigues;

you keep them safe in your dwelling     

from accusing tongues. (NIV)

 Reflection

Our view of God is of crucial importance. It will greatly influence how we live our lives on planet earth. Is He a divine ogre waiting to pounce on us for the slightest transgression? Is He aloof, hard of hearing, out of touch and out of reach? Does He stand opposed to your wishes and dreams—the nagging heavenly parent who frowns at your ambitions?

That’s not David’s view of God. He saw a caring LORD of heaven and earth, who was only too eager to bless those who sought refuge in Him. That’s why David exclaims, “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.”

Think of it for a moment: God has a storehouse of good things just waiting for you. He has prepared a whole series of blessings that He will lavish on those who fear Him. Furthermore, He will bestow those blessings in the sight of all—on all who seek shelter in the shadow of His wings.

What might some of those good things be? First and foremost the LORD has an abundance of mercy set aside just for you. In the midst of unparalleled disaster, as a witness to the destruction of Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah rightly discerned the heart of the LORD. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). For Jeremiah God was good all the time, even in disaster.

God has an abundance of love, peace and joy set aside just for you. Tap into it; drink deep of it. It’s there for you. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval (Romans 14:17-18).

We serve a generous God. In your mind, stop limiting His blessings. They are abundant, they are stored up for you and they will manifest in the lives of those who fear Him.

Response: LORD God, thank you for all the good things you have stored up for me, both temporal and spiritual. I rejoice in You! You are a generous God lavishing mercy on me through your son, Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you see God? Is He opposed to your wishes and dreams?