Monday, September 20, 2021 Some material taken from Preparation Precedes Blessing by Van Houser
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Searching for the Path to Blessing
Yes, we are totally responsible for our actions in life. Many Christians think that God will bless us because of who we are, regardless of what we do. Even as Christians we cannot expect that we can live carelessly and rely on God’s forgiveness or trust that He will swoop in and rescue us and fix the mess we make in our lives. We should not sin more where grace abounds, but we because of grace, have hope. If we have to walk through the mess and suffer some consequences, He is with us.
The sovereignty of God does not always override the disobedience of men. God does have principles for living that assist us in discovering and receiving His abundance, and they are there for a reason. The process of discovering and receiving is just as important - if not more - than the discovering and receiving. Oftentimes the journey is the key, not the destination. The journey is what makes us who we are, and as hard as it may feel, pay attention to what God is doing in your heart during this time. It a very important part of the process.
Power in life is found in God's wisdom as well as His person.
When we seek truth in God’s wisdom and in a relationship with Him, it will spur us on in obedience. There is also a somewhat unstated and yet accepted concept that the obedience of the few can open the way for the blessing of the many. People are always watching Christians so we need to make sure they see us walking in faithful obedience.
Knowing God and His truth, along with obedience, is the beginning of preparation. We cannot be prepared by God if we are not obedient - in prayer, service, Bible study, by giving, by repentance, by witnessing, or whatever God leads to do to be prepared for His blessing.
God asks us to step out in faith before He delivers. He calls us to obedience to His commands as preparation for His blessing. This is the greatest display of faith we can show to the rest of the world. A display of faith requires us to take a step in an unknown direction because we trust a known God. This is the start. This is where we step onto the fertile ground where God can begin to do a work in us.
The man who displays faith is the man who ACTS as if God has provided
even BEFORE God has provided ENABLING God to provide.
