What is it that you would consider a blessing, of course the word infers that whatever it is, it comes from God, for what the world offers my friends does not bless us in any way.
So then, would you consider your refrigerator, stove, vehicle, even your bed a blessing, the materialistic items that surround you each day, look around you and you will see that everything that you possess is from the world, or better yet, is produced in the world. Unless I am mistaken, nothing that you own just miraculously appeared out of thin air one day, although it may have shown up by mail, parcel post or even just dropped off at your door by someone, it was made somewhere by someone.
What about your friends and family then, would you consider them a blessing from the Lord, after all, no one is born unless God allows them to be born, and as far as I know, everyone that is alive on this planet is from here, and so since children are a blessing from the Lord, we could presume that all are indeed blessings, but all are born in sin. Again, not everyone is saved are they, and so we would by reasonable deduction need to not include those who will die in their sins as a blessing from the Lord, at least not in our terminology here, for they will be vessels fitted for wrath. (Rom.9:22) Granted, there are many of these that produce those items that we just spoke about that we are considering to be blessings, so these individuals do indeed serve a purpose, but as to their being a blessing or not is part of the topic of this letter to you.
The word blessing in itself means divine will, an example of something that can only come from the Lord God, and so the subject must be left to what might be best termed “the case in point,” for to each that have received a blessing from the Lord, the experience is relative to what their particular need was at that moment in their life. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19) The blessing in these instances is the supply of what is essential to us, either in the material world, the emotional or the spiritual, it matters little to the Lord what the need is, if it is in His will, you will receive it. Here then is where we must make the determining factor of two items, what is a need and what is a want.
When it comes down to it, the only needs we have in the flesh are for food, clothing and a place out of the elements, all of these are promised to those who will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, (Matt. 6:33) everything else that you are looking at if you are in your house at this moment are added extras, they are not needs, but we still consider them blessings. It is a difficult thought process for some, what we call needs are actually fulfilled wants, and how we have come to own these wants are not always blessings from Almighty God, they are actions that we have undertaken to obtain them. Of course, one could debate that if it were not for the talents, the abilities that He has enabled us with, that we would never have had the opportunity to possess these items, but do we rise every morning and go to our place of employment to obtain blessings from the Lord, or to gain an income to purchase what we call blessings from Him.
Our family would more than likely be called a blessing from the Lord, for they are the dearest of individuals to us, and whether they come from our loins or are adopted, they are indeed a part of us. God fearing, Christ centered children are indeed the light of their parent’s eyes, “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers,” (Prov. 17:6) but, as it is with all things, not everyone is the same, not all are what could be considered a blessing. “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” (Prov. 29:15) Many times we continue to call family and friends a blessing from the Lord, when in reality they are far from it, it is in the nature of a parent to always seek out whatever good they can find in their child, even as he sits on death row, even as she continues to be a great burden and vexation to them.
The term “blessing” is determined to be one in the favor of God, but we have become a generation of Christians who sees blessings as material possessions, friends and family, and those things that we surround ourselves with every day, things of the world. Are we to decide that the Lord has given to us from the riches of His mercies the things of this world, the friendship of family and the items that even the lost may possess, are these are the fulfillment of His grace and pleasure towards us while we are here, is that what we call blessings, the things that will fade away, items from the world that will be destroyed, that will not be carried with us into the eternal.
I find great concern with those who think this way, those who believe that what our Lord offers us here is only from here, that we have found grace in His eyes, so we have a house and all the accoutrements that accompany it, family and friends who may or may not serve Him, items that will rust and collapse with the passage of time. I think that many are deceiving themselves, for if even the smallest of these so-called blessing were to be removed from them, they would question what they consider their place in the order of the Lord, blessings removed for these means’ loss of favor with Him. The man who has nothing has nothing to lose, the man who understands the true blessings of Christ has need for nothing but Christ.
“Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Psalm 32:2) “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.” (Psalm 65:4) What can you do without, and still serve God, what is it that you are calling a blessing, when the real blessings have been in front of you all along. You have been chosen by God Himself, He has imputed no iniquity upon you, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, (Rom. 8:1) here are blessings, here is the favor of God, to be set apart for His glory, to know for a fact that you will spend eternity in His presence, to know love everlasting.
Should we stop praying for those things that we believe are necessary for our continued existence here, of course not, but should we not spend just as much if not more time in praising His Name and giving thanks just because He is. “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25) We are blessed beyond measure, more perhaps than we will ever know, but to count the things of this world, the things that will pass away as the greatest of what He has to offer us, and has already given to us, is to miss the opportunity to truly give our Lord the honor and glory that He deserves.
Give thanks, but always in the knowledge that if He takes away all that you have, you will still give thanks, you will always be able to say, no matter the circumstances, “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5)
