Monday, April 15, 2013

How To Recognize God's Blessing


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… Ephesians 1:3

Webster defines "Blessed" as, "Of or enjoying happiness. Specifically enjoying the bliss of Heaven." It carries the idea of that which "brings pleasure, contentment, or good fortune." Simply stated, it is that state of being that we all want to enjoy.  We all like blessings don't we? There isn't a person alive that does not enjoy a blessing!   And, certainly, we are a blessed people!  But, when it comes to this matter of blessings, we often view them in the wrong light.  Most often, we think of blessings as being those things that are physical and material in nature.  For instance, if everyone in our household is well, we consider ourselves blessed. If there is money in the bank and the bills are paid, we say we are blessed. If we are living in a nice home and driving a good car, we equate that with blessing.  And, I would have to agree that those things are blessings from the Lord.

What we fail to remember is that these kinds of blessings are temporary at best! That car will die one day. That money will find a place to be spent. That home will rot and decay. Your health will eventually decline.  What we need to know is that the real blessings of the Lord are not material or physical. The real blessings of God are spiritual in nature, and these spiritual blessings will never be taken away from us!  Even when everything else is gone, has broken down or has been spent, we will still possess the best of God blessings.

There are three thoughts in the last part of this verse that teach us the valuable lesson of How To Recognize God's Best Blessing that I would like to point out to you. 

This verse begins with a note of praise for the Lord! Paul exalts the Lord for his greatness. He tells us that our Heavenly Father "hath blessed us".  I want you to notice that these words are in the aorist tense, which is equivalent to the English past tense. At some point in the past, God blessed us!  Not only are they past tense, but they are also in the active voice. This means that those blessings that we received at some point in the past continue this evening and will continue on into the future. 

In other words:
1.    I have been blessed
2.    I am being blessed
3.    I will be blessed!

It may not feel like it, and all the facts may be stacked against it being true, but it is true nonetheless!  This should bring us great joy and comfort to know that not only have we been blessed, we are presently being blessed and there are more blessings to come!  God is good and He blesses those He loves and who love and obey Him.  The rest of this week we will take a look at these truths and how to recognize God’s best blessings in our lives. 

Scripture to Claim:
"For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield." Psalm 41: 1

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