The shear beauty of the Lord. The beauty of the radiance of his glory. The unshakable joy and unceasing goodness that flows from the thought of even knowing Him. The God of all creation invites us every single day to be in Communion with Him. He invites us to come to his word and behold his Majesty. He beckons our souls to revel in his goodness. He has named us beloved of God in Christ alone. We are deemed worthy and holy in His presence. We are covered by the she blood of our redeemer. Jesus Christ. We are not only delivered from the penalty of sin, but its power and one day its presence. When God's word says we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, he means every blessing. He doesn't hold back his glory from us. He doesn't with hold a gift from His hand. He doesn't give and take away out of anger. He gives and takes away for the better. He takes knowing that He will replace that gift with something even better. But the blessings aren't even the best part. We have the chance to know the giver. We have relationship with the bless er. Instead of clinging to the blessing, cling to the promise and the hand of the giver of the blessing. There are often times though, we don't see all things that are good. Sometimes the good comes in a different way than we would like. Sometimes the good comes through trial. Sometimes the best gifts we receive from the Lord are in the midst of a terrible storm. Sometimes the good comes quietly and subtly. Sometimes the good comes right in front of our face and we reject it because we don't think we deserve it.
What kind of faith do we have? Do we have a faith that is built on blessings? or do we have a faith built on the bless er?
Let me add another thought to that though.... What is your view of blessings. When I was in Haiti, I was sitting on the roof of the church we were staying in and looking at our neighbors yards and farmland around us watching the sunset. I had seen so much during that day traveling through the cities of Haiti to our final destination. I had never seen poverty like that in my life. But as I looked at the people around me as my feet dangled off the roof and the sun setting, They were care free, happy, they had enough for that day. The night would soon come and they would rest, to wake up and work, live, eat, play and sing. Enjoying life to the fullest. Yet they had nothing to enjoy. There was no escape from their poverty. They weren't like the Americans that had come to visit them. We may have lived with them in those two weeks, but we were soon to head back to the states and have every "comfort" at our disposal. The Lord spoke to my heart in the moment. The thought came into my head, " Is this what my 'stuff' looks like to you lord? dirty, broken, worthless, over used, rotten? Not only my stuff, but is this What I look like? Clinging so desperately to those things?" God Then challenged me on my view as blessings. So often I view my "stuff" as blessings. Do we refer to blessings as our house? our shoes? our education? our clothes? our money? Ephesians 1:3 says, " All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united Whit Christ." Notice how He says, "blessed us with every SPIRITUAL blessing in the HEAVENLY realms" Sure we can be blessed through our possessions and they can be tools for God's glory, but the root of the blessing is the intended use of the procession. I can wear shoes, but until I use those shoes to walk over and share Christ with someone, those shoes will stay shoes. I can have a house, but If I only use my house for me and my use and never be hospitable to the body of Christ or invite an outsider in, my house will be of no eternal value. The blessing is the Joy that comes out of giving, the gentleness that comes out of the service, and the relationship that comes out of the words spoken in quality time. We are blessed with many things, but never cling tighter to the blessing, but look to the Lord and cling to Him in order to get the blessing intended for you. The Haitians may have had nothing, but their view of blessings didn't lye in their things. Their blessings relayed in the love given to each other, the time taken for one another, and the Worship and praise To God the Father. We are truly blessed to know Christ. Paul says That He counts all things as rubbish compared to even knowing Christ.
So where do you stand on that? do you value the created more than the creator? Do you have a better relationship with your Ipod than you do with you bible? Do you keep all your money to yourself when your money isn't even yous in the first place?
If that made any sense, which I pray it does, I challenge you to really evaluate you life according to God's word. I pray that you as the reader gain more of an eternal perspective. You are blessed to be a blessing. With EVERY spiritual blessing given by God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. He holds nothing back from you. Cling to Him. Trust Him. Give Him glory. All out. No regrets. Go.
