To be spiritual they say is the assurance of earthly pleasures; to be sinful is to bring upon oneself pain and suffering. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Uphold me with Your generous Spirit. N Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Thy way, Yet Thou hast crushed us in a place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. 1:3), God has also blessed us withphysical things. What a verse! Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. Ezekiel 44:30 (NIV), Give freely without begrudging it, and the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. 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 that you will not have room enough for it. Malachi 3:10 (NIV), Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. When Jesus began to teach His disciples concerning His coming rejection, suffering, and death in Jerusalem, even His disciples reacted. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. They are His to give; they are also His to withhold. - Philippians 4:19 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. The prophets suffered themselves and also spoke of the Messiah to come as the One who would suffer for the sins of men (Isaiah 52:13--53:12). Verse Concepts. For He knows the secrets of the heart. There is a sense in which our suffering bears testimony to the end of sins dominion in our lives (1 Peter 4:1). These are not always material blessings, however. So death works in us, but life in you. #blessed Its a social media tag for when someone feels blessed and who has, or is getting, everything theyve dreamed of getting. I will take away sickness from among you. Philippians 4:19 The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. After David was anointed as Israels future king, and Sauls replacement, David spent his days fleeing for his life from Saul who was bent on killing him (1 Samuel 18-31). But Peter was wrong for supposing that Gods blessings were incompatible with suffering. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. Pastor John, hello! These are the blessings our Lord Himself brings to pass in His second coming. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. In the context of prayer, Paul prayed that he might have theLords prospering on his physical journey to visit the saints atRome (Rom. Eve was cursed with pain in child-bearing and with the dominion of her husband over her. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! I know that no matter how good their promises sound, they simply are not true. He protects them and keeps them alive; he publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies. Psalm 41:1-2 (LB). Verse Concepts. Deuteronomy 8:2-6; 28; 30:15-20 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? At times like these, the Word of God becomes much more precious and meaningful: Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Thy word (Psalm 119:67). The plan of God is to bring about His own glory and the Christians good (or blessing). You cannot be richer than a Christian. Jesus turned the teaching of the Jews upside-down. Bible Verses About Blessings and Prosperity. It was not in Abrahams lifetime that the promise of a great nation was fulfilled. In Gods economy, serving others is a privilege and not a curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). There is no geographic center for Christianity. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Paul adds that itis set apart by God in accordance with His Word and prayer,a clear indication that we are to offer thanks to the Lord forwhat we have at every meal. It is also only in eternity that the curse of God will be fully poured out on sinners. It is the blessing which comes from faith in Jesus Christ and not from human effort or achievement. (15) Since divine blessing is based upon the sovereign grace of God, we cannot demand it, and we dare not protest when Gods dealings with us do not appear to be a blessing. Humanly speaking, men are blessed or cursed on the basis of their response to Abrahams seed, Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:3; Psalm 24:3-6; 32:1-2; 84:4-5; 89:14-18; John 3:16-18; 14:6; Acts 3:26; Romans 4:6-8; Galatians 3:9, 13-16; 1 John 5:11-12). In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Gods own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:3-14). (4) The Jews of Jesus day thought of Gods blessings not in terms of grace but in terms of works. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that {the limb} which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed (Hebrews 12:3-13). And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And He said, Write, for these words are faithful and true. And He said to me, It is done. Storing up spiritual treasures in heaven is far more important than physical prosperity. He blesses the Christian temporally by His presence, by producing our growth and maturity, and by creating a hunger for the full and final blessings of heaven. D You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. Gods blessings are the fulfillment of His promise and the conclusion of a process which includes suffering and sorrow. (5) The Jews of our Lords time believed suffering was incompatible with Gods blessings. Suffering is both a blessing, and a means of blessing, when it is suffering for Christs sake: For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). But just what has God promised to do for Abraham? 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. May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your Gods, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. Deuteronomy 15:10 (Msg), Worship the Lord your God and his blessing will be on your food and water. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. He is author of. 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). Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Gods blessings took time to fulfill, and the process of fulfillment involved suffering and adversity. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. In the context of prayer, Paul prayed that he might have the Lord's prospering on his physical journey to visit the saints at Rome (Rom. Proud member He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit., Saying, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.. M By tracing the fulfillment of this promise through the Scriptures we will better understand Gods blessings. It is in Christ, the seed of Abraham, that we are blessed. This is what it means to be truly blessed. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8-12). And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. And righteousness from the God of his salvation. Archaeologists Discover 2,000-year-old Gemstone With balm Of Gilead Engraved On It, The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. Proverbs 10:22 (NIV), For those who are always generous and lend freely, their children will be blessed. Psalm 37:26 (NIV), If you return to the Almighty, you will be blessed again. 5:18). Adam was cursed with hard labor, providing for his family by the sweat of his brow. Peter rebuked our Lord for speaking of His own suffering (see Matthew 16:21-22). Selah. The blessing of God directly relates to two matters: (1) the overcoming of Gods curse, and (2) the cursing of Satan which promises his condemnation and destruction. To belong to Christ is to belong to God as our Father and to be heirs of all that God owns that is, everything. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Strengthen and help me, Lord. To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. Revelation 21 and 22. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. How is it related to cursing? S 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. Only with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ does permanent blessing come into clear focus. They would do especially well to give careful thought to this text in Hebrews: And what more shall I say? Such eternal blessings are far greater than any temporary physical blessings we could receive. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.