•9:49 PM
TOPIC: Blessings
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:3-12
IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT BLESSINGS
Blessings are God’s way of showing us favor.
Sometimes His greatest favor comes to us in the form of hardship.
God sent His truest blessing through his son, Jesus.
“I WILL BLESS YOU” Genesis 12:1-3 (God’s Promise to Abraham)
God has no hidden agenda. His agenda is this: HE PLANS TO BLESS US!
We don’t deserve and can’t earn God’s blessing; IT IS A GIFT!
God’s blessing might not take the shape you were hoping for or expecting.
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“A BRUISING BLESSING” Psalms 84:6 (Pools of Blessing)
To be blessed doesn’t mean that you are untroubled, healthy, admired, or prosperous. It means that all is well between you and God, that you are deeply secure and profoundly content in God even though you may be weeping over the pain of a sick body, a deteriorating mind, a rebellious spirit, or a dysfunctional relationship. The blessing is not that he gives us what we want, but that he gives us himself, especially in our painful places.
Our places of pain become our richest blessings when we find God there.
Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic was on the show “Larry King Live.” Larry asked her if she anticipated being able to walk in heaven. This is what she said:
“If I could, I would take this wheelchair to heaven with me. Standing next to my Savior, Jesus Christ, I would say, Lord, do you see this wheelchair? Well, before you send it to Hell, I want to tell you something about it. You were right when you said that in this world we would have trouble. There’s a lot of trouble being a quadriplegic. But you know what? The weaker I was in that thing, the harder I leaned on you, and the harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be. Thank you for the bruising blessing it was, this severe mercy. Thank you.”
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“UNLESS YOU BLESS ME” Genesis 32:24-26 (Jacob Wrestles With God)
God’s blessing doesn’t come without a struggle. this is what God does with everyone he is going to use in a significant way. THE BLESSING IS A CHANGED LIFE!
Don’t confuse wrestling with God with rebelling against God. Wrestling with God is not about pinning God down. It is about experiencing His power and enjoying his presence. It is about valuing His blessing so much that it is worth fighting for.
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REFLECTIONS
What experiences in your life that you once saw as “bad” can you now see as a blessing?
