Friday, 12 April 2013

The Blessed Life!

Next Step Devotion
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.


 Have you noticed my keen notion to begin many of these devotions with hymn lyrics? While I cannot assume this is the case for all of our readers, many of us grew up proclaiming these age-old lyrics on each Sunday morning. These melodies rooted themselves thoroughly in our minds and spirits. If you are like me, I dare to admit that these lyrics often pop into my brain much more quickly during a time of questioning, trial, or prayer than even Scriptural verses. When pondering the phrase "The Blessed Life," there was no stopping the melody of this infamous doxology of our faith...."Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow!!" From this beautiful doxology flows the direction I believe God desires for me to take this devotion today. 

 What comes to mind when you hear the word blessed. Perhaps the blessing of children, that "quiver full of arrows?" Physical health, job security, or the ability to retire may represent blessing to you. Perhaps for others the word blessed has even taken a negative connotation, the unfortunate consequence of absorbing too many prosperity sermons and laboring too hard without feeling as though you've seen any of the fruit. Blessed has become a term we often use to judge another's stance before God and favor with man. Just as Job's "friends," we sit and measure ourselves against the apparent blessings of others, condemning those who are struggling, asserting it must be a consequence for some hidden sin.  

 I do not mean to sound cynical, yet this is the predominant thought-process of our culture. Christians are meshed together with Buddhists, Hindus or even Atheists in a "karma-like" understanding of blessing. What we receive balances out to how much we give, how much we sacrifice, or how "good" we are. Oh but praise be to God that the blessings of our ONE TRUE GOD are so far beyond our cultural understanding. Each and every blessing from the one true living God is eternal, having implications for our lives today and our future eternity. Each blessing is from above (James 1:17) and purposed to give glory and honor and praise to God forever (Ephesians 3:21). 

 So let's step back a minute as we consider blessings in our lives as believers. In our interview this week with June Felix, former New Day Cafe co-host and founder of Life of Prayer Ministries, June shared that while we often view blessings as material things, God's blessings are spiritual in nature and are given to us so that we can give HIM maximum glory through our lives. Let's go over that again. Blessings are not for US. Blessings are for GOD. But how can this be? If God is giving us the blessings of health, peace, and salvation, then how can we say He is giving these for Himself? They come from God to begin with right? Yes, every blessing comes from God, for He is the originator of all things good. However, God blesses us so that we might bear fruit of blessing back to Him through the manifestations of worship, service, and love to others. 

 Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING in the heavenly realms. I  just love that! You mean I have EVERY spiritual blessing? That's what God's Word says. But we must not skip over the very beginning of that verse so that we might reach the blessing part... the verse begins "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." The blessing is proceeded by praise! We saw this as well in our interview this week with Pastor Lorenza James of Tabernacle Baptist Church. Pastor Lorenza shared with us the beautiful words of blessings found in Psalm 133. In this passage, unity among God's people is compared to the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's beard and ran down his robe. This time of anointing for the Levitical priests was one of profound worship. The fragrance from this anointing oil rose up as incense before God's throne. And there, the Lord commanded blessing. We again see this idea of blessing for God's people wholly connect to praise and adoration for our Lord.  

 So how can we apply this to our lives? When we take a look at many of the spiritual blessings promised to God's people, we must learn to view these blessings as not entirely for our own benefit (while they certainly do help us personally!). We must seek the Lord for how He desires for us to use these blessings to in turn bless others and give Him glory. What are some of the spiritual blessings? Here are a few we discussed this week: 

When we receive the devastating news that a loved one has died, we are blessed with God's peace that surpasses our understanding. It is through this peace that we are able to continue praising our Lord and Savior "who gives and takes away." When we are lost in thought and unable to confidently make a solid decision about an important matter, God blesses us with access to spiritual wisdom and insight. This wisdom allows us to make the decision that will most completely align with God's word and further His purposes for our lives. When we have labored and labored through the toils of life and feel as though we will never reach the point of breakthrough, we have the blessings of refreshment that come through the streams of living water that flow within our spirits. This stream allows us to gain the strength needed to endure in obedience to God's call on our lives. This in turn gives God glory, blesses others, and spurs the body of Christ along in hope and good works. This is the epitome of "all things working for good." The blessings of Christ do bless us, but they also bless others and give glory to our Father. 

 What sorts of blessings are you seeking? It is much easier to desire the blessings that we can see, such a money or job promotions, academic awards or popularity with others. However, the spiritual blessings that come from Christ run so much deeper than these earthly rewards ever will. The blessings of forgiveness, victory, refreshment, peace, etc will last forever....these blessings give us a taste of what we will enjoy forever in heaven with Christ. These blessings are just a preview of what is to come, and we should seek to radiate them through our lives so that others may also experience them, both now and for eternity. We truly do enjoy a blessed life because of the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, let's fuel those blessings into praise for our Father!

Interview Recap

Key Scriptures

 Psalm 133:1, 3b - Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!...for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (KJV)

 Matthew 5:11-12 - Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.(NIV)

 Ephesians 1:3 -  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (NIV)

 John 10:10 -  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.(KJV)

 Psalm 5:12 - Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

 Galatians 3:14 - He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

 Be Blessed,
Melissa Rogers
Moody Radio South
www.moodyradiosouth.fm 
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