Blessing #1
I love the song “God Bless America,” but I’d like to change one word…
GOD BLESSED AMERICA!
The United States isn’t the Promised Land that God gave to Israel in the Old Testament, but you might say He gave us the Blessed Land! This amazing country was only discovered a few hundred years ago, and when the settlers came, they brought with them their faith in God. From a humble beginning we have become the greatest, most prosperous, and most “free” country on earth; blessed with freedoms people in most other countries only dream about. I believe that faith in God, and obedience to Him, has brought us where we are today. But I also believe that too many of us take our blessings and freedoms for granted, as the following monologue will attest.
“So, as a Christian, you’re telling me I should tithe 10% of my income? That would leave me only 90%!! Dude, I have to make two car payments, my three-bedroom house payment, a furniture payment, and a large credit card bill (with which I purchased our large-screen TV, new clothes, our kayaks and camping gear, and restaurant charges.)”
“And Christians should give even more??? ‘For those less fortunate’. Really. Why? Even the Bible says the poor you will always have with you, so what’s the point?
You’re also telling me Christians should attend church every Sunday. Well, I think I see Him from my fishing boat, or from my deer stand on weekends. And surely, He doesn’t begrudge me the one or two Sunday mornings when I play golf!”
Listen up, people. What you just read is EXACTLY how Satan wants you to feel about your life. He wants us to believe we deserve all we have, so what has God done for us? The man quoted above is completely unaware of all his blessings; unaware that all he has come from God. How do you view your own life? Take a moment to re-read what was said and put a checkmark above everything you think was a BLESSING. Now look at your own life and try to count your blessings. Let me make it easy: if in your home, just take a seat and look around the room. Think about who lives there. Seriously, do it now; I’ll wait. 😁
Please understand, God loves us, and wants us to enjoy HIS BLESSINGS: Read Jeremiah 29:11, and 2 Corinthians 9:8. Nice to hear, right? Yes, He does ask us to share with those in need: Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ”. Wouldn’t fulfilling Christs’ law also fulfill us? And “it’s more blessed to give than to receive” isn’t an old saying, it’s scriptural (Acts 20:35). Do you see that when He asks us to help others, WE get blessed?
So, while God asks us to give (share) of His blessings, He turns right around and gives us more. In Malachi 3:10 He says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house” (for the less fortunate). “TEST ME in this”, says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out SO MUCH BLESSING (emphasis is mine) that there will NOT BE ENOUGH ROOM TO STORE IT.” (Again, the caps are mine, but I want you to see what He promises.)
YOU CANNOT OUTGIVE GOD!!!!
A man I know was made aware of a woman’s need for funds to take her son out of state to a specialist for the boy’s medical problem. When he gave her the check her mouth fell wide open, shocked at the amount. She said, “You don’t know me; how can you give us this much?” His reply: “It’s not my money. God gave it to me, to give to you.” It really was from his own pocket; he just knows that it came to him as a BLESSING to begin with.
We are blessed to be a blessing.
To borrow a phrase from pastor Steve Brown: He told me to remind you.
In His service, and yours,
Mike Jared
TCM board member
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