Gods blessings are the fulfillment of His promise and the conclusion of a process which includes suffering and sorrow. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21). But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 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 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. AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. The temporal blessings of Judaism were tempting in the light of the affliction they faced as Christians. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Pastor John, hello! Few understand the blessings of God as they should. In order to receive God's spiritual blessings, one must be in the right spiritual location, that is, in Christ. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Their numerical growth concerned the Egyptians and brought about a time of great persecution and affliction. This bundle contains the Year of Blessing annual . The plan of God is to bring about His own glory and the Christians good (or blessing). The Lord will help you defeat the enemies that come to fight you. Blessing and cursing are both temporal and eternal, the temporal being partial and mixed with sorrow, while the eternal is full and complete. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. Those who identified with Israel and Israels God would also be blessed, as God told Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Spiritual Blessings Growing Christians Ministries Abrahams life was not one of uninterrupted bliss, yet he was blessed of God in every way (Genesis 24:1). The great nation was still one seed, Jacob. It is I who answer and look after you. Your blessings in eternity will not. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14:14 (NIV), Give freely and spontaneously. All of the prophets of Israel were resisted, rejected, and persecuted because they spoke to men for God: And the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy (2 Chronicles 36:15-16).101. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. There are no priests or saints through whom we have to go to God, but only Jesus Christ. (1 Kings 10:1, 45). He referred to a blessing found in Numbers that . Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Last week Art Lindsley referenced Hebrew poetry found in the Bible to give a more complete picture of flourishing. Yet our prayers betray us. 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. Browse the best Bible verses about blessings in this collection of scripture quotes: Photo credit: GettyImages/Digitalskillet. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 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. 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. Gods blessings took time to fulfill, and the process of fulfillment involved suffering and adversity. Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! For He knows the secrets of the heart. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. There is a sense in which our suffering bears testimony to the end of sins dominion in our lives (1 Peter 4:1). Abraham had to buy a small parcel of ground for a burial site for his family (Genesis 23:1-20). (11) Ultimately, blessing or cursing are the result of ones response to Gods provision of forgiveness and righteousness in Jesus Christ, the promised seed of Abraham (see Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6; John 3:18; 14:6; 1 John 5:12). Now, Father, I need You to restore my heart. 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 ultimate good is that which manifests Gods glory. Z. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. 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. You have entered an incorrect email address! Of late I have been having discussions with my friends around what it means to be blessed. Gods plan is purposed to bring glory to Himself and blessing to us. To be spiritual they say is the assurance of earthly pleasures; to be sinful is to bring upon oneself pain and suffering. Job 1 and 2 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). The blood of Christ has taken away the guilt of our sins, and we stand before the Father as perfectly accepted. 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 is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 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. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Now thats a different discussion, one initiated by a discerning listener to the podcast named Jordan. We must therefore live by faith. 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. Then in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete (Genesis 15:13-16). 25 Bible verses about The Fear Of The Lord Surely Thou dost set them in slippery places; Thou dost cast them down to destruction. Bible Verses About Unexpected Blessings - CHURCHGISTS.COM So theres the principle. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash Read more Site Map About Us Help Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, Father. Divine blessing certainly is not well understood. Our text speaks only of Old Testament saints. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. (7) Divine blessing is based upon divine grace and not human merit or effort. Publisher: OpenBible.info. 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. John 14:1-3 When affliction comes into our life, we do not pray for Gods grace, nor do we ask God for wisdom, patience, or endurance. 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. 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. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. What the Bible says about Blessings, Physical - Bible Tools You cannot be richer than a Christian. But that forgiveness is not always guaranteed, and is usually conditional on our repentance. His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. 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). Death turned earthly, external appearances upside-down. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. 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. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 49 Bible Verses about Blessings From God - Knowing Jesus This shall never happen to You. But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. If a nation turned from God, its promised blessings would be taken away: At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Gods promise to Abraham was not merely the promise of a son. "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. 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). 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 Christian life should be lived out in the light of the superiority of Gods promised blessings in comparison to the blessings an ungodly world holds out to us (Hebrews 11:24-26). And it shall come to pass, if thou . (6) How can a clear understanding of divine blessings help us to better understand Gods eternal plan, especially as it relates to man? These trials came from the hand of the God who had promised to bless them: And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. Enter into the joy of your master.. Your infinite glory, greatness, grander, majesty, and unlimited ability. Neither do we have basis for complaint if and when He withholds His blessings. Let no one boast in men. His blessings were not the kind they wanted. All of those referred to were people who obtained Gods approval through their faith in Gods promise. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. 6:8). Jesus simply did not fit the mold of Jewish expectations. Your blessings in this life will be mixed with sorrow. Abraham had a twenty-five year wait for the blessing of a son. Lets circle back now to Jordans reference to the Beatitudes. These are not always material blessings, however. I call that the showcasing of the blessing of God on the people of God in the Old Testament. 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. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. Thus, his wait would have been more than twenty-five years. A Psalm of David. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. In the early days of Davids life, he was misunderstood and chided by his brothers (1 Samuel 17:20-30). Gods blessings are based upon His grace and not our works. The son was just the beginning. You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. Ephesians 6:12-13,15-19 And that about wraps it up. God is - bible.com 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. A beautiful way to begin any new year is with a dox Acts 3:25-26 G All of us deserve to suffer for our sins. Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply, And hast not profited by their sale. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. Somehow, in Gods perfect plan and according to Gods promises, Gods blessings would not come apart from suffering. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 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). 1 Peter 2:21; 3:8-9, 13-17; 4:1, 14-16 Philippians 4:19 There will always be some among you who are poor. As Asaph protested centuries ago in Psalm 73, the wicked may prosper, and the righteous may suffer. And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. As I conclude this lesson, let me share a quotation by Harold Stigers in his commentary of the Book of Genesis: God designs certain tests and trials in regard to earthly things so that we may see that our inheritance resides in God Himself--in our finding them nothing without Him, and Him everything even without them.104. 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. All things are yours. Jesus said, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Yet Thou hast rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And dost not go out with our armies. Give, and it will be given to you. 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. These were much more perplexing times as we see from the agony of this psalmist: Thou art my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. This is not a blessing. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. When we observe the Lords Supper, we are partaking ofphysical elements, the bread and the cup, which convey aspiritual message (I Cor. They are His to give; they are also His to withhold.