Theres no great temple-like edifice in Christianity. I With that in mind, what is a biblical definition of what it means to be truly blessed?. 5:18). Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. In everything [not just some thingsand not just spiritual things] give thanks: for this is thewill of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (I Thes. You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. 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). Since the Mosaic covenant spelled out Gods blessings and cursings in this way in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-30, this is not difficult to understand. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. E Judaisms errors concerning divine blessings can be summed up in these statements. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. This is one of the reasons Jesus teaching and His offer of the kingdom was rejected. Gods national blessings and cursings were conditional. 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. This is not a blessing. When my heart was embittered, And I was pierced within, Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before Thee. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Nearly six hundred years passed from the promise of possessing this land to the time his seed actually acquired the land. (From Forerunner Commentary). I love it. Gods blessing is the overturning and removal of the curse due to sin. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. As we come to the study of divine blessing in our series, we begin by considering Gods promised blessings in the Old Testament. Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? F John 14:1-3 And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Heres the principle: in Gods wisdom, the Jewish religion of the Old Testament was largely a come and see religion. Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? 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. Paul says, The world is yours. Gods blessings are not sovereignly bestowed in the way He chooses but are mechanically obtained by doing the right things. Temporal blessings are those blessings which God bestows upon sinful men, living in a fallen world, flowing from His grace. Verse Concepts. - 2 Corinthians 9:8 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Those who identified with Israel and Israels God would also be blessed, as God told Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). S (4) The Jews of Jesus day thought of Gods blessings not in terms of grace but in terms of works. Peter rejected the thought out of hand. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. How were these saints so successful? The simple fact is that our prayers betray us. If Thy law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction (Psalm 119:92). All day long my dishonor is before me, And my humiliation has overwhelmed me, Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. Redemption speaks of buying one's freedom, paying a ransom. They will attack you from one direction, but they will run from you in seven directions. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. "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. 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! Keep us, oh God, from trusting in our power. Some preachers and teachers promise Gods blessings as confidently as the mail promises a free gift. Your infinite glory, greatness, grander, majesty, and unlimited ability. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Paul adds that itis set apart by God in accordance with His Word and prayer,a clear indication that we are to offer thanks to the Lord forwhat we have at every meal. To have enough faith is to have the means to move God into blessing us as we think best, they say. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Gods own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:3-14). Verse Concepts. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. (18) Christians will suffer--and not just for sin. Selah. Biblical blessings are often associated with protection and happiness. 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. God also promised Abraham a great land that his seed would possess. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. (10) Blessing and cursing have present manifestations, but they are not fully manifested until the second coming of Christ. 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). Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES. It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Thats in the list: All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death. Death is yours. Philippians 3:8-12 We will be part of Gods family: They shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9). A Psalm of David. So remove evil from your house. Job 22:23 (NCV), Even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice. Luke 11:28 (NLT), (Help the unfortunate) and you will be blessed. The point I wish to underscore here are the two very different categories of saints. "In everything [ not just some things and not just spiritual things] give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thes. For I was envious of the arrogant, As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Jesus turned the teaching of the Jews upside-down. 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. (1 Kings 10:1, 45). And he said, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account (Matthew 5:11). But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Theres nothing like that in the New Testament. Neither Gods blessings nor His wrath are fully manifested in this life. 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). 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 is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. The Israelites of Jesus day also held a distorted view of divine blessings. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! From the Scriptures, we have seen that suffering is neither incompatible with faith nor inconsistent with Gods blessings. What a verse! 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. And if it costs you your life, lay it down. Jesus says very plainly, Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33). We will see God: They shall see God (Matthew 5:8). When affliction and adversity comes into our life, we conclude that suffering is incompatible with blessing. May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! 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. The blood of Christ has taken away the guilt of our sins, and we stand before the Father as perfectly accepted. 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. 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. This is what it means to be truly blessed. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift. 2 Cor. Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of 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. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Salvation is "in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:10). Undergrace, eating a ham sandwich is acceptable. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Dont have a stingy heart. (6) Gods glory is revealed in both His blessing and His cursing (see Exodus 34:5-7). Revelation 21 and 22. The apostle John heard a voice from heaven saying, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (Revelation 14:13). To be spiritual they say is the assurance of earthly pleasures; to be sinful is to bring upon oneself pain and suffering. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.. Gods promise to Abraham was not merely the promise of a son. TopicalBible 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). In My Fathers house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. Because he was just and right in all his dealings. 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. OpenBible.info One only needs enough faith to be confident God hears and answers our prayers as we desire. He was not only to be the son of Abraham but of Sarah as well (Genesis 17:15-21). He looked for a heavenly city, a city which God would prepare. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. First and foremost, Gods blessing involves the forgiveness of our sins, the defeat and destruction of Satan, the passing away of that which is old and corrupted by sin, and the creation of that which is holy and acceptable. 5. Archaeologists Discover 2,000-year-old Gemstone With balm Of Gilead Engraved On It, The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. Proverbs 10:22 (NIV), For those who are always generous and lend freely, their children will be blessed. Psalm 37:26 (NIV), If you return to the Almighty, you will be blessed again. 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. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit., Saying, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.. 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) 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. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. Divine blessing refers to Gods purpose to bring about the good of an individual or nation, His proclamation of this purpose by His promise, and a program of bringing about this blessing which includes suffering and adversity. These can all be good things, but I think you could also argue that if these blessings lead us further away from God, they are not truly blessings at all. (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. This bundle contains the Year of Blessing annual . James 1:2-5 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. He also promised to make him a great nation (Genesis 12:2; 15:5; 17:5-6). Abraham had to buy a small parcel of ground for a burial site for his family (Genesis 23:1-20). All, as the writer informs us in verse 39, gained approval through their faith. All, as he also reminds us, did not receive what was promised (verse 39, see also Hebrews 11:13). . So too does history and our own experience. In Gods wisdom, the church of Jesus Christ is not an ethnic or geographic or political or national entity. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. These blessings are not fulfilled in this life, but in the next. Why are they wrong? As Asaph protested centuries ago in Psalm 73, the wicked may prosper, and the righteous may suffer. U A Study of God's Plan for Man. God is not the only one who pronounces blessings. But notice that in the list of things that belong to us is death. Give, and it will be given to you. 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. You cannot be richer than a Christian. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 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. The first recorded promise of Abrahams son was made when Abraham was seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4).98 Yet the child was not born to Abraham and Sarah until he was one-hundred years old (Genesis 21:5). They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. 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). All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten Thee, And we have not dealt falsely with Thy covenant. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 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). Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. What exactly do you believe those are?. If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? You will be blessed when you come in and when you go out. This child was not merely an adopted heir, but Abrahams own son (Genesis 15:1-6). The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? 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), Give freely without begrudging it, and the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. All of this made no sense to the Jews. You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on Gods interests, but mans. Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Adam was cursed with hard labor, providing for his family by the sweat of his brow.