Suffering is also a blessing because it is a part of Gods process of sanctification. He said, "I am the God that healeth thee." . Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!. But in the case of these innocent sufferers, their suffering was not attributed to their sin but was the outgrowth of their righteousness. Death becomes your servant because of Christs triumph over death. 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" . Surely Thou dost set them in slippery places; Thou dost cast them down to destruction. The simple fact is that our prayers betray us. N His teaching was different not as the result of a change in Gods plan, but due to the Jews misconceptions concerning Gods promised blessings. (6) Gods glory is revealed in both His blessing and His cursing (see Exodus 34:5-7). Selah. When Christians suffer for Christs sake, it is a blessing. He restores my soul. (4) God has the right to bless or to curse men (see Romans 9:19-21). And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, Write, for these words are faithful and true. And He said to me, It is done. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. 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! Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; My steps had almost slipped. When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. I have become a cynic when it comes to promises received in the mail. In summing up his life before Pharaoh, Jacob gave an account not of unceasing bliss but of much affliction: So Jacob said to Pharaoh, The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning (Genesis 47:9). 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. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. And is there knowledge with the Most High? Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, Father. It is in Christ, the seed of Abraham, that we are blessed. This is not a blessing. I must do whatever it takes to be happy, even if that involves disobedience to Gods revealed Word.. Put the bounce back in my step, the smile back on my face, and the dance back in my feet. If we get hungry for God and follow his commands if we seek spiritual growth, physical blessing will follow. The son was just the beginning. Physical John 3:5 ESV / 23 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 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. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. We will be shown mercy: They shall receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. We will be co-owners of the whole world: They shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). These blessings fit the definition laid down in Proverbs 10:22: It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. So too does history and our own experience. Somehow, in Gods perfect plan and according to Gods promises, Gods blessings would not come apart from suffering. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit. 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. And that about wraps it up. Why dost Thou hide Thy face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. Thou dost make us a byword among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples. A secondary goal is to accomplish the good of those who love God: 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). And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Abrahams life had its own trials. (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. B 2 Peter 2:7-8 (7) Divine blessing is based upon divine grace and not human merit or effort. Blessing may be accomplished by what appears to be Gods cursing. Gods blessings are not sovereignly bestowed in the way He chooses but are mechanically obtained by doing the right things. Zechariah 8:13; 14:11 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. His blessings are offered in the form of a promise, and this promise must be believed by faith (see Genesis 15:1-6). God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. Amram's sons: Aaron and Moses.Aaron, along with his descendants, was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of Yahweh, to minister to Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever. 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. (13) Adversity and suffering is not synonymous with sin and cursing. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him . Biblical blessings are often associated with protection and happiness. As a result, Jacob and his family moved to Egypt where they became a great nation. But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. The trials and afflictions of the Israelites did not end with their exodus from Egypt. This leads us right into the fourth blessing ( Ephesians 1:7 ), the redemption through His blood. The Bible that you hold in your hand is aphysical book with a spiritual message. Gods earthly blessings were dependent upon Israels obedience to His Law. Our prayers reveal an understanding of Gods blessings virtually identical with the mistaken view of the Jews in Jesus day. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused,if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctifiedby the Word of God and prayer (I Tim. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Good will comes to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future all are yours, and you are Christs, and Christ is Gods. And instead of telling the world to come to us Come see how I bless my people; God never says that he says, Go go to the world. The accursed were those who were rich, well-fed, and happy. (12) Gods temporal blessing is neither synonymous with prosperity nor incompatible with suffering. Through suffering we are blessed in many ways: And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5). First the trial, then the blessing, the crown. Things were bad and about to get worse. Paul says, The world is yours. 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. - Numbers 6:24-26. Keep us, oh God, from trusting in our power. 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. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Enter into the joy of your master.. Now, Father, I need You to restore my heart. - THANKSGIVING FOR THEIR DIVINE ORDINATION TO THE BLESSINGS OF GRACE. (18) Christians will suffer--and not just for sin. Give, and it will be given to you. 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. And said, By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. Peter, who once rejected the idea of suffering, later has much to say about suffering in his epistles. He helps them out of their own troubles. Z. One only needs enough faith to be confident God hears and answers our prayers as we desire. What an amazing promise--a promise which will surely be fulfilled! Our Lord Himself took upon Himself the task of serving.
Bible Verses About Unexpected Blessings - CHURCHGISTS.COM Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. As to the first, many will claim that God loves and forgives us all unconditionally. When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. The Lord will help you defeat the enemies that come to fight you. He referred to a blessing found in Numbers that . Just a few - of many - New Testament texts make this clear: Mark 1:4-5 And so John the Baptist appeared . What a verse! Email: berean@bereanbiblesociety.org
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. The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. Oh, God, help us to live with faith. The ultimate good is that which manifests Gods glory. 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. 11:23-26). Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. The Jews of old and many Christians and others today think of Gods blessings in terms of the immediate enjoyment of physical and material pleasures and the absence of pain. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). 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. Therefore his people return to this place; And waters of abundance are drunk by them. The Israelites of Jesus day also held a distorted view of divine blessings. No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. Dont have a stingy heart. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. (8) Divine cursing or condemnation is based upon an individuals decision and works. Faith and obedience are both necessary because each calls upon us to act, not on the basis of what we see, but on the basis of what He has said. The blessings here are plainly associated with happiness and welfare, both for Abram and others. "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. The apostle instructed Timothy, having food and raimentlet us be therewith content (I Tim. He looked for a heavenly city, a city which God would prepare. Geocoding PO Box 756
They were blessed by God, through faith. Deuteronomy 28:1-2. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus teaching concerning His own suffering and death took His disciples by surprise: From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. At other times, Israels suffering was not due to her unbelief and rebellion. In order to receive God's spiritual blessings, one must be in the right spiritual location, that is, in Christ.
Spiritual Blessings Growing Christians Ministries Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Gods blessings are based upon His grace and not our works. 101 See also Matthew 23:29-39; Acts 7:52. The unnamed author of this epistle reminds these Christians of their Old Testament roots. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. Our Lords suffering and sacrificial death were Gods means of blessing us: It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways (Acts 3:25-26). A Psalm of David. Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. 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). 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. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth.
Then in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete (Genesis 15:13-16). He leads me beside still waters.