Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 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. 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 rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. Luke 11:28 (NIV), Im eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Hebrews 11 and 12 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. If Thy law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction (Psalm 119:92). But in the case of these innocent sufferers, their suffering was not attributed to their sin but was the outgrowth of their righteousness. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Moms come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing's for sureall moms need to connect with other moms! He is author of. The term blessed is thrown around in our culture today, and its all over our Bibles too. The Hebrews were Christians who came out of Judaism by faith in Jesus Christ. Death turned earthly, external appearances upside-down. Verse Concepts. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! The same errors which plagued the Israelites and Christians of old are popular in evangelical Christianity today. (14) God blesses all men physically and materially in this life out of His common grace. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. 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). Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. We must see that in the midst of our suffering, we are drawn nearer to God, and recognize this as true blessing. Gods blessings took time to fulfill, and the process of fulfillment involved suffering and adversity. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless. Proud member 1:9,10). While we are primarily blessed with all spiritual blessingsin the heavenlies (Eph. Our blessings are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. We ask God to take away the pain and the circumstance. 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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Their numerical growth concerned the Egyptians and brought about a time of great persecution and affliction. We must live by faith trusting God to fulfill His promises, even when our eyes tell us the opposite is happening now. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. 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). 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. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it (Jeremiah 18:7-10). Put all the billionaires together. 4:4,5). His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. Neither do we have basis for complaint if and when He withholds His blessings. There are no places to do pilgrimages in Christianity. What a verse! But Jesus taught us explicitly not to expect them now. For example, Genesis 49:1 . Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV), Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Why dost Thou hide Thy face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? (5) God is able to bless men because He has borne their curse in Christ, and thus His holiness is maintained in His grace (see Romans 3:24-26). Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The apostle John heard a voice from heaven saying, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (Revelation 14:13). 5:18). I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Thy way, Yet Thou hast crushed us in a place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. To belong to Christ is to belong to God as our Father and to be heirs of all that God owns that is, everything. I am not happy. It is the blessing which comes from faith in Jesus Christ and not from human effort or achievement. 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). The complete and final fulfillment of Gods promise to Abraham is yet to occur. God also promised Abraham a great land that his seed would possess. His teaching was radically different from that of the Jewish religious leaders of His day. Storing up spiritual treasures in heaven is far more important than physical prosperity. Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When Christians suffer for Christs sake, it is a blessing. The reason, we are told, is that God wanted them to enter into blessings with us, at the same time. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 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. Suffering is also a blessing because it is a part of Gods process of sanctification. Redemption speaks of buying one's freedom, paying a ransom. With the coming of Christ, the blessings of God are more spiritual than material, and they come to those who appear not to be blessed as men would appraise blessing (see Luke 6:20-23). When Israel turned from God, the promised cursings came. Verse Concepts. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. The land of Canaan was not to be possessed until Abrahams offspring had been oppressed and enslaved for four hundred years. And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. When affliction and adversity comes into our life, we conclude that suffering is incompatible with blessing. Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. His teaching was different not as the result of a change in Gods plan, but due to the Jews misconceptions concerning Gods promised blessings. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Why did your father, Josiah, reign so long? 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. 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. No matter where a mom is on her journey, she's welcome at Where Moms Connect.. But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. But notice that in the list of things that belong to us is death. Those who identified with Israel and Israels God would also be blessed, as God told Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). 6:8). It is the blessing to which Abraham and every other Old Testament saint looked forward. We now desire that which we once found offensive and repulsive. Gods blessings are based upon His grace and not our works. But what of Gods eternal blessings? Download Article. A Study of God's Plan for Man. Later Judah and his brothers suffered much over their ill-treatment of Joseph (see Genesis 37-45). (6) How can a clear understanding of divine blessings help us to better understand Gods eternal plan, especially as it relates to man? (12) Gods temporal blessing is neither synonymous with prosperity nor incompatible with suffering. Tools. What an amazing promise--a promise which will surely be fulfilled! It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Thy statutes (Psalm 119:71). 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. But Peter was wrong for supposing that Gods blessings were incompatible with suffering. 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. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8-12). In Genesis 22:16-18, God again blesses Abram, and adds that blessing is due to his obedience to God's commands. Paul says, The world is yours. For I was envious of the arrogant, As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. 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. The suffering of some saints should be no more troublesome to us than the success of some saints, or even the success of some sinners. (13) Adversity and suffering is not synonymous with sin and cursing. Only in eternity will the full blessings of God be poured out on Gods people. A review of Jesus teaching about the kingdom of God and about the blessings of God explains why His teaching was found unacceptable by the Jews. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with others in need. Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (NLT), Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in his times of trouble. (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). Like Lot, we find our righteous souls vexed by sin (2 Peter 2:7-8). He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. Psalm 112:1-9 (NIV), Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). (19) Gods promised blessings do not assure us we will escape the wrath of men toward God, but only that we will escape the wrath of God toward men. But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. 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. For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee. 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. How could it be that the blessed Son of God could suffer? In all that he does, he prospers. The story of the rich man and Lazarus underscore this principle (see Luke 16:19-31). The first group--those who succeeded by faith--are described in verses 32-35a. 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. In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. Job 4:6. This child was not merely an adopted heir, but Abrahams own son (Genesis 15:1-6). 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. 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). 5. 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. This bundle contains the Year of Blessing annual . Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. In Gods wisdom, the church of Jesus Christ is not an ethnic or geographic or political or national entity. From the Scriptures, we have seen that suffering is neither incompatible with faith nor inconsistent with Gods blessings. 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. 2 Chron 30:27. Philippians 4:19 Peter rejected the thought out of hand. They would do well to give more thought to the blessings of God as defined in Scripture. As we come to the study of divine blessing in our series, we begin by considering Gods promised blessings in the Old Testament. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. 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. Abraham had to buy a small parcel of ground for a burial site for his family (Genesis 23:1-20). See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. All their years will be pleasant. Job 36:11 (NLT), Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17 (NIV), Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. Psalm 1:1 (GW), Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4 (NIV), Blessed are those who dwell in your house to worship; they are ever praising you. Psalm 84:4 (NIV), Give freely to the poor person, and do not wish that you didnt have to give. 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. By faith, these saints conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises,103 shut the mouths of lions, received their dead back to life, and so on. Bible verses about Blessings. We shall see what they are, what they are not, and when they will be fulfilled. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. 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). Temporal blessings are experienced by sinners, living in a sin-cursed world. That means He wants me to be happy. Help me to rejoice always, Father, for this is Your will for me. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Abrahams life was not one of uninterrupted bliss, yet he was blessed of God in every way (Genesis 24:1). 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). You do not have to fear the future when God's hand is over your life. of The Bible that you hold in your hand is aphysical book with a spiritual message. Blog, A Ephesians 1:3-14 Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him (Deuteronomy 8:2-6). What the Bible teaches is that the physical blessings to these people will continue until and after Christ's return. 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). Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 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. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Suffering is both a blessing, and a means of blessing, when it is suffering for Christs sake: For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). These blessings are not fulfilled in this life, but in the next. Adam was cursed with hard labor, providing for his family by the sweat of his brow. Peter rebuked our Lord for speaking of His own suffering (see Matthew 16:21-22). The promised blessings of the Bible are the good which God has purposed and promised. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE, we also believe, therefore also we speak; knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 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 they are destroyed in a moment! Think of being "in Christ" as a spiritual location. While not a pleasant experience in itself, suffering can be the source of comfort and assurance. I will take away sickness from among you. Exodus 23:25 (NIV), Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV), Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV), Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 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. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still . But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? S (10) Blessing and cursing have present manifestations, but they are not fully manifested until the second coming of Christ. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" ( Matthew 5:5 ). We now loathe that which we once loved. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Along with sin came the curse. 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. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? He referred to a blessing found in Numbers that . When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. While we should not seek suffering in this life, we should expect it, recognizing it as a part of the plan of a loving God who is bringing about our good and His glory. The writer may have meant that they were given promises, but they did not receive them. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 100 When I speak of innocent suffering here, we must all understand that no mortal is ever innocent, save in the blood of Jesus Christ. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. 98 This verse tells us that Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. There is no geographic center for Christianity. For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. (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, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles.". They were blessed by God, through faith. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Steps. 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? But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us. Psalm 22; 24:3-6; 44; 73; 78; 94:12; 119:67, 71, 75, 92 Jesus turned the teaching of the Jews upside-down. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Israelites of Jesus day also held a distorted view of divine blessings. (5) What errors concerning divine blessing can we see in the Jews of old and also in Christians of today? Let no one boast in men. Good will comes to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. If I had said, I will speak thus, Behold, I should have betrayed the generation of Thy children. Labs 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).

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