Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The adversity of those whom Jesus called blessed made them discontent with this world, causing them to look ahead to the promised blessings of the kingdom of God. Verse Concepts. Our blessings are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). God is not the only one who pronounces blessings. 11:23-26). The Lord will bless you with full barns, and he will bless everything you do. Deuteronomy 28:2-8 (NCV), I will also bless the Gentiles who commit themselves to the Lord and serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who have accepted his covenant. Isaiah 56:6 (NLT), A beautiful palace does not make a great king! 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. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. In fact, suffering can be a blessing in the hand of God. 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 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. Obedience, stemming from gratitude, faith, love, and hope, which is empowered by Gods Spirit, brings the temporal blessings of God, while disobedience brings a curse (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; Psalm 106:3; 112:1; 119:1-2; Proverbs 8:32; Isaiah 44:3; Daniel 12:12; John 13:17; James 1:12; Revelation 14;13). T Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. What an amazing promise--a promise which will surely be fulfilled! 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. Verse Concepts. Jesus simply did not fit the mold of Jewish expectations. Their numerical growth concerned the Egyptians and brought about a time of great persecution and affliction. In our identification with Christ, we enter into His rejection and persecution by men, and in so doing are blessed by a closer walk with Him, a deeper fellowship with Him, and a growing hunger for heaven and the full blessings of God (see 2 Corinthians 4 and 5; Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter 2-4). Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Our Lords suffering and sacrificial death were Gods means of blessing us: It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways (Acts 3:25-26). He also promised Abraham that he would become a blessing to all who would bless him. Only God can make something good from that which seems evil at the moment. While not a pleasant experience in itself, suffering can be the source of comfort and assurance. "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways." Psalm 128:1 (NIV) "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. A Psalm of David. 98 This verse tells us that Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. The difference is that one group seems to succeed on the basis of faith while the other group suffers by faith. 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. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Few understand the blessings of God as they should. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift. 2 Corinthians 9:11 (CEV), If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the Lord has blessed you with, then do his: Sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship. Deuteronomy 14:24-25 (TEV), God blesses those who are kind to the poor and helpless. 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. This is what it means to be truly blessed. But just what has God promised to do for Abraham? 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. The second group--those who suffered and endured by faith--are described in the last half of verse 35 through verse 38. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Heres the principle: in Gods wisdom, the Jewish religion of the Old Testament was largely a come and see religion. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. They would do especially well to give careful thought to this text in Hebrews: And what more shall I say? 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. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. And righteousness from the God of his salvation. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. But notice that in the list of things that belong to us is death. Always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. Before one can receive . John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Rarely, if ever, do I see people posting about how blessed they are as poor in spirit or persecuted like we read about in the Beatitudes. The promised blessings of the Bible are the good which God has purposed and promised. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. (6) Gods glory is revealed in both His blessing and His cursing (see Exodus 34:5-7). Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Bible Verses about Blessings - Blessed Scripture Quotes. This false view of blessing justifies ones expectations of no pain and all pleasure in this life. 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. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. For example, Genesis 49:1 . And it shall come to pass, if thou . 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). And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). Suffering at the hand of a gracious God is a comfort, for our chastening evidences that we are Gods sons: For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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? This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles.". When Israel turned from God, the promised cursings came. Blessings have to do with God's Kingdom. 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. Gods blessings are not sovereignly bestowed in the way He chooses but are mechanically obtained by doing the right things. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! All of this made no sense to the Jews. 4:4,5). When affliction and adversity comes into our life, we conclude that suffering is incompatible with blessing. Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply, And hast not profited by their sale. He was not only to be the son of Abraham but of Sarah as well (Genesis 17:15-21). 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. Verse Concepts. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. Fax: (262) 255-4195 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. The Lord will help you defeat the enemies that come to fight you. Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! In the early days of Davids life, he was misunderstood and chided by his brothers (1 Samuel 17:20-30). I am not happy. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. 5:18). A beautiful way to begin any new year is with a dox Acts 3:25-26 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. (2) The Jews thought of Gods blessings in primarily physical and material terms and not in spiritual terms. If we would understand what in the world God is doing in these days, we must understand what the Bible teaches about divine blessing. 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. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The Christian life should be lived out in the light of the superiority of God's promised blessings in comparison to the "blessings" an ungodly world holds out to us (Hebrews 11:24-26). Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. One can imagine how shocked men were to hear Jesus teach about Gods blessing and cursing precisely opposite from their own view: And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Ephesians 1:3-5. At times like these, the Word of God becomes much more precious and meaningful: Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Thy word (Psalm 119:67). What the Bible teaches is that the physical blessings to these people will continue until and after Christ's return. In the context of prayer, Paul prayed that he might have the Lord's prospering on his physical journey to visit the saints at Rome (Rom. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Abraham had a twenty-five year wait for the blessing of a son. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21). Whom have I in heaven but Thee? As a result, Jacob and his family moved to Egypt where they became a great nation. 1 Chron 23:13. Put it at the disposal of me and my mission. Thats the kind of radical life were called to live in the New Testament. If Thy law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction (Psalm 119:92). 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! 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. Because he was just and right in all his dealings. Gods blessing is found in trusting and obeying God and in the resulting enjoyment (blessing) of His presence and fellowship. Christians often find their third tithe years to be abundant with all types of blessings and invaluable lessons learned. Proverbs 10:22 The Book of Hebrews brings the Old Testament faith into focus and clearly describes the nature of the blessings God promised and for which believers waited in faith. How do you explain these errors? Give, and it will be given to you. (1) What is blessing? See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. L Only in eternity will the full blessings of God be poured out on Gods people. (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. For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Exodus 1:5-22 Geocoding (7) How do the temporal blessings and cursings which God promised the nation Israel relate to the life and experience of the Christian today? (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 all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. 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. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Jordan puts his finger on the nub of the issue, I think, by referring to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Most of us are not quite this honest in our thinking, nor quite so bold in our rebellion against God and His Word. All of those referred to were people who obtained Gods approval through their faith in Gods promise. It is the blessing to which Abraham and every other Old Testament saint looked forward. 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. Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. He and his mother struggled with Isaac and Esau. More likely, he meant that they received some of the promises but not the promises which could only be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ, promises which are still future for us. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. We shall see what they are, what they are not, and when they will be fulfilled. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Their journey to the promised land held many trials. The Lord your God will bless your work and everything you touch. Deuteronomy 15:10 (NCV), Blessed is the man who trusts in you. Psalm 84:12 (NIV), If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the Lord has blessed you with, then do this: Sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship. Deuteronomy 14:24-25 (TEV), Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. Psalm 89:15 (NIV), Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Psalm 106:3 (NIV), Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. Psalm 128:1 (NIV), Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? C James 1:2-5 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 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). Proverbs 10:22 tells us that "the blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.". For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 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. Labs Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm Central Time. The land of Canaan was not to be possessed until Abrahams offspring had been oppressed and enslaved for four hundred years. (2) In what ways does God bless all men? In the context of prayer, Paul prayed that he might have theLords prospering on his physical journey to visit the saints atRome (Rom. The story of the rich man and Lazarus underscore this principle (see Luke 16:19-31). The blessings here are plainly associated with happiness and welfare, both for Abram and others. You will be blessed when you come in and when you go out. - Philippians 4:19 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. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 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. Browse the best Bible verses about blessings in this collection of scripture quotes: Photo credit: GettyImages/Digitalskillet. I see the term blessed associated with material possessions or family or health. F Gods promise to Abraham was not merely the promise of a son. "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Romans 4:3-8; 5:3-5; 8:18-25, 28; 12:14 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:8-9). Put all the billionaires together. Pastor John, hello! 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. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 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. If we do not understand Gods temporal blessings, and His eternal blessings, we will not understand the plan of God. Full and unhindered blessing can only take place in heaven, when Satan is bound, sin and death defeated, and the things corrupted by sin (including our bodies and this world) made new. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. The true view of temporal blessing seeks the enjoyment of Gods presence whether in pain or pleasure. Redemption speaks of buying one's freedom, paying a ransom. Satan, once our master, has now become our enemy. A Study of God's Plan for Man. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, Father. . Let no one boast in men. All rights reserved. We can never, in and of ourselves, be worthy of divine blessings. 1:9,10). Gods blessings are the fulfillment of His promise and the conclusion of a process which includes suffering and sorrow. 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). Dont have a stingy heart. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 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. Paul says, The world is yours. These are the blessings our Lord Himself brings to pass in His second coming. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Israel was the showcase of Gods blessings among the nations. We will experience Gods comfort: They shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4). We begin to make decisions and to pursue a course of action which takes away the pain. The blessing of God directly relates to two matters: (1) the overcoming of Gods curse, and (2) the cursing of Satan which promises his condemnation and destruction. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV), Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? 6:8). (7) Divine blessing is based upon divine grace and not human merit or effort. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. HCSB, ISV, BBE. But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us. W 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. U Good will comes to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Thou dost give us as sheep to be eaten, And hast scattered us among the nations. So theres the principle. 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. When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. (3) Gods blessing is opposed to cursing. The Bible teaches that all spiritual blessings are available only "in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). He looked for a heavenly city, a city which God would prepare. Devotions for Growing Christians Spiritual Blessings Ephesians 1:3 - "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." Read Ephesians 1:3-14. I love it. 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. 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). (12) Gods temporal blessing is neither synonymous with prosperity nor incompatible with suffering. Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! Temporal blessings are those blessings which God bestows upon sinful men, living in a fallen world, flowing from His grace. (3) What is the relationship between blessing, faith, and obedience? 1. Abraham had to buy a small parcel of ground for a burial site for his family (Genesis 23:1-20).
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