And the failure to recognize this distinction between Gods plan for Israel in the Old Testament and Gods plan for the church in the New Testament has caused a lot of people to put way too much emphasis on earthly blessings today. Three Advantages You Gain From Trusting In God, i love belivers portal.very inspiring and informarive, Thanks for the efforts to compile this. Blog, A A beautiful way to begin any new year is with a dox So too does history and our own experience. Deuteronomy 28:1-68 ESV / 265 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. But just what has God promised to do for Abraham? What a verse! One would not have chosen Abrahams life to illustrate blessing. 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. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. Abraham was one-hundred and sixty years old when Jacob and Esau were born. Temporal blessings are not to be measured so much in terms of material prosperity, physical health, or the absence of pain, as in the enjoyment of Gods presence. He struggled with Esau from the womb until the day he left Canaan. When we understand the difference between Gods temporal blessings and His eternal blessings, we learn to expect suffering and trials as a part of His plan, and as a part of His program to bring about eternal blessing for us. Some Christians seem to be saying that we can be assured of receiving all the promises now. These trials came from the hand of the God who had promised to bless them: And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 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. Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Only God can make something good from that which seems evil at the moment. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God (1 Peter 4:14-16). And my people shall never again be put to shame. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Like Job, they would be badgered by their friends to find the sin in their life, and confess it so they could be blessed. Salem Media Group. Gods blessing is not based upon human merit or works, but upon His grace. I will take away sickness from among you. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles.". He suffered because of his deception concerning Sarah. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. R Salvation is "in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:10). The writer to the Hebrews differs with such thinking. A Study of God's Plan for Man. What the Bible says about All rights reserved. You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. (10) Blessing and cursing have present manifestations, but they are not fully manifested until the second coming of Christ. 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? 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 shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. (18) Christians will suffer--and not just for sin. 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. 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. How they are destroyed in a moment! All of those referred to were people who obtained Gods approval through their faith in Gods promise. Our text speaks only of Old Testament saints. Adam was cursed with hard labor, providing for his family by the sweat of his brow. Here are 10 bible verses about unexpected blessings that will bring you peace and joy when you need it most. Unfortunately, many Christians today hold to the same basic errors held by the Jews of Jesus day. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. P Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. A Psalm of David. If a nation repented of its sin and turned to God, its threatened judgment could be averted. 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). It cuts across all ethnicities, all geographies, all politics, nationalities. Later Judah and his brothers suffered much over their ill-treatment of Joseph (see Genesis 37-45). James 1:2-5 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. 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). 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. 1:3), God has also blessed us withphysical things. 4-14. 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). Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6, 13-20; 17:15-21; 26:24; 27:27-29; 28:12-15; 47:9 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.. 103 Notice that while these saints obtained promises (verse 33) they did not receive what was promised (verse 39). And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? His blessings are offered in the form of a promise, and this promise must be believed by faith (see Genesis 15:1-6). 3) states summarily the ground of thanksgiving, expanding it with glowing fullness in vers. So theres the principle. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Biblical blessings are often associated with protection and happiness. Put the bounce back in my step, the smile back on my face, and the dance back in my feet. Why dost Thou hide Thy face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? 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. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. It is also only in eternity that the curse of God will be fully poured out on sinners. Galatians 3 104 Harold G. Stigers, A Commentary on Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), p. 135. These six blessings summarize what it means to live forever under the kingdom, the heavenly rule of God: So in summary, (1) the presence of God seen and enjoyed in the face of Christ, (2) covering us with mercy because of all our sins, (3) calling us his children, (4) comforting us for all pain and loss in this world, (5) bequeathing to us the universe for a familiar homeland, and (6) everything set right in our souls and in the social order of the new world this is our great reward. But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you Luke 6:20-28). Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Suffering is also a blessing because it is a part of Gods process of sanctification. Thou dost give us as sheep to be eaten, And hast scattered us among the nations. Psalm 24:5. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. Gods plan is purposed to bring glory to Himself and blessing to us. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 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. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 8:2-6; 28; 30:15-20 For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Gods blessings are the fulfillment of His promise and the conclusion of a process which includes suffering and sorrow. The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? V What the Bible says about In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other. Romans 1:12 (NLT), You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. 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. I am not happy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Bible Verses about Blessings - Blessed Scripture Quotes. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies. Psalm 21:6. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. 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. We can never, in and of ourselves, be worthy of divine blessings. of Only in eternity will the full blessings of God be poured out on Gods people. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is in Christ, the seed of Abraham, that we are blessed. 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. When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Thats the orientation of Jesus Christ the king. Acts 3:25-26 Were on a mission to change that. God was in no hurry to fulfill His promised blessings. (1) The Jews thought of Gods blessings primarily in terms of the here and now, while Gods Word speaks of the fulfillment of His promised blessings in terms of the future. HCSB, ISV, BBE. We must therefore live by faith.