Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:8-9). (7) How do the temporal blessings and cursings which God promised the nation Israel relate to the life and experience of the Christian today? If we get hungry for God and follow his commands if we seek spiritual growth, physical blessing will follow. God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. We will see God: They shall see God (Matthew 5:8). Like Job, they would be badgered by their friends to find the sin in their life, and confess it so they could be blessed. The writer may have meant that they were given promises, but they did not receive them. F And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16). The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. - 2 Corinthians 9:8 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. 5:18). Gods blessings took time to fulfill, and the process of fulfillment involved suffering and adversity. Salvation is "in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:10). First and foremost, Gods blessing involves the forgiveness of our sins, the defeat and destruction of Satan, the passing away of that which is old and corrupted by sin, and the creation of that which is holy and acceptable. Publisher: OpenBible.info. Put all the billionaires together. And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. If you have not trusted in Gods promise of blessing in Jesus Christ, then you are under the curse of sin. Our Lords suffering and sacrificial death were Gods means of blessing us: It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways (Acts 3:25-26). The land of Canaan was not to be possessed until Abrahams offspring had been oppressed and enslaved for four hundred years. Good will comes to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. There are no priests or saints through whom we have to go to God, but only Jesus Christ. What a verse! Jesus turned the teaching of the Jews upside-down. Bible Verses About Blessings and Prosperity. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. He suffered because of his impatience in acquiring a son through Hagar. Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:3-11 (NIV), Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it. Luke 11:28 (NIV), Jesus said, Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed. John 20:29 (NIV), In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 (NIV), Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV), The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25 (NIV), Even if you should suffer for what is right, you will be blessed. 1 Peter 3:14, If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 1 Peter 4:14 (NIV), If you cant carry that ten percent of your harvest to the place where the Lord chooses to be worshiped; if you live too far away, or if the Lord gives you a big harvest, then sell this part and take the money there instead. Deuteronomy 14:24-25 (CEV), You should be happy to give the poor what they need, because then the Lord will make you successful in everything you do. Deuteronomy 15:10 (CEV), Each man is to bring a gift as he is able, in proportion to the blessings that the Lord your God has given him. Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (TEV), Obey the Lord your God so that all these blessings will come and stay with you: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Neither Gods blessings nor His wrath are fully manifested in this life. The Jews of old and many Christians and others today think of Gods blessings in terms of the immediate enjoyment of physical and material pleasures and the absence of pain. Let's take a close look at blessing from the bible: who blesses who, how we receive blessings, how we give blessings, physical versus spiritual blessings, and finally how the flow of blessing can influence our prayers. Your blessings in this life will be mixed with sorrow. Humble yourself as Jesus said: "Blessed are the 'poor in spirit': for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:3) Read this and the other eight blessings for you as they were explained by Jesus, in Matthew 5, which are keys to unlocking such personal blessings. Verses 3-14. God promised to bless Abraham and his offspring. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Our Lord Himself took upon Himself the task of serving. In the context of prayer, Paul prayed that he might have theLords prospering on his physical journey to visit the saints atRome (Rom. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. A Psalm of David. And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Eve was cursed with pain in child-bearing and with the dominion of her husband over her. Deuteronomy 28:1-2. But what does it mean to truly be blessed according to Scripture? Strengthen and help me, Lord. God blesses the Christian by bearing our curse in the person of Jesus Christ. And Im going to circle back and probably end there and affirm what he sees and show why it is such a great answer to his own question. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Trust in Him, and you will be blessed. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. As Gods suffering brought blessing to us, so our suffering is viewed as a blessing for us and a potential blessing for others. And they say, How does God know? It was not in Abrahams lifetime that the promise of a great nation was fulfilled. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Those honest enough to admit it reason something like this: God wants to bless me. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES. It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? To belong to Christ is to belong to God as our Father and to be heirs of all that God owns that is, everything. Their journey to the promised land held many trials. But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; My steps had almost slipped. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Thy works (Psalm 73:1-28). His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Bible Verses about Blessings - Blessed Scripture Quotes. In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. Amram's sons: Aaron and Moses.Aaron, along with his descendants, was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of Yahweh, to minister to Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever. Why is that? We must therefore live by faith. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. 100 When I speak of innocent suffering here, we must all understand that no mortal is ever innocent, save in the blood of Jesus Christ. in 1971. Verse Concepts. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Temporal blessings are incomplete and never without a measure of sorrow and suffering. 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. (3) What is the relationship between blessing, faith, and obedience? On the other hand, Jesus said, Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). He is author of. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Selah. If a nation turned from God, its promised blessings would be taken away: At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Therefore his people return to this place; And waters of abundance are drunk by them. As it is written, He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! June 10, 2013. Rarely, if ever, do I see people posting about how blessed they are as poor in spirit or persecuted like we read about in the Beatitudes. You cannot be richer than a Christian. The ultimate good is that which manifests Gods glory. The reason, we are told, is that God wanted them to enter into blessings with us, at the same time. 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. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still . But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT (Romans 4:3-8). How will Abraham be blessed, and how will he become a blessing to others? While we are primarily blessed with all spiritual blessingsin the heavenlies (Eph. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Blessings that we receive, whether material or spiritual, all have to do with the coming of God's Kingdom, whether here and now in small glimpses, or eternally when God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5, Isaiah 43:19). He also promised to make him a great nation (Genesis 12:2; 15:5; 17:5-6). What an amazing promise--a promise which will surely be fulfilled! One can imagine how shocked men were to hear Jesus teach about Gods blessing and cursing precisely opposite from their own view: And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Gods common grace is extended to all men, without distinction. 1:3), God has also blessed us withphysical things. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. He suffered because of his deception concerning Sarah. Faith and obedience are both necessary because each calls upon us to act, not on the basis of what we see, but on the basis of what He has said. Three Advantages You Gain From Trusting In God, i love belivers portal.very inspiring and informarive, Thanks for the efforts to compile this. God not only graciously blesses men, He also graciously delays the curse so that men might be saved (see Romans 9:22-24). 104 Harold G. Stigers, A Commentary on Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), p. 135. - 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. When Israel turned from God, the promised cursings came. I call that the showcasing of the blessing of God on the people of God in the Old Testament. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. Our very clothing is a physicalblessing. Suffering is also a blessing because it is a part of Gods process of sanctification. God not only accomplished our salvation by the means of Christs suffering, but He uses suffering to draw men to Himself (Luke 6:20-23). They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. (8) Divine cursing or condemnation is based upon an individuals decision and works. That means He wants me to be happy. Hebrews 11 and 12 Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. Psalm 41:1-2 (NIV), Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. Luke 11:28 (NIV), Im eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. How were these saints so successful? (1 Kings 10:1, 45). And is there knowledge with the Most High? Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. And righteousness from the God of his salvation. All their years will be pleasant. Job 36:11 (NLT), Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17 (NIV), Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. Psalm 1:1 (GW), Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4 (NIV), Blessed are those who dwell in your house to worship; they are ever praising you. Psalm 84:4 (NIV), Give freely to the poor person, and do not wish that you didnt have to give. Awake, do not reject us forever. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. I love it. The Jews thought of God's blessings in primarily physical and . (17) The blessings our Lord accomplished on the cross of Calvary will not all be poured out on men in this life. Eternal blessings are experienced by saints who have been transformed into the image of Christ, whose mortal bodies are left behind and who live in a new world free of sin, of Satan, and of the curse (see 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 21 and 22). Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Thy lovingkindness (Psalm 44:4-26). Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. Storing up spiritual treasures in heaven is far more important than physical prosperity. For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. G It is the blessing to which Abraham and every other Old Testament saint looked forward. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? Bible prophecy reveals that the descendants of Esau will exist in the end time. To me, it seems like the way God uses blessed or blessings in the Bible is very different from how its used now. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface: "It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. As I conclude this lesson, let me share a quotation by Harold Stigers in his commentary of the Book of Genesis: God designs certain tests and trials in regard to earthly things so that we may see that our inheritance resides in God Himself--in our finding them nothing without Him, and Him everything even without them.104. And in so doing, we actually miss the blessing God has for us in affliction. Yet our prayers betray us. OpenBible.info In all that he does, he prospers. For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. Galatians 3 Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. The Book of Hebrews brings the Old Testament faith into focus and clearly describes the nature of the blessings God promised and for which believers waited in faith. (7) The majority of the Jews in Jesus day concluded that Jesus could not be the promised Messiah because He failed to meet their expectations and desires. Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The simple fact is that our prayers betray us. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. Acts 3:25-26 They are based upon His sacrifice at Calvary but are realized in His coming to judge the earth: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. He leads me beside still waters. Y Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! He restores my soul. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. Abraham was one-hundred and sixty years old when Jacob and Esau were born. But that forgiveness is not always guaranteed, and is usually conditional on our repentance. They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. Q I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other. Romans 1:12 (NLT), You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV), Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Whereas, in the Old Testament, Israel had the promise of physical blessing, the church today has been promised spiritual blessings "in the heavenly realms." Our inheritance is reserved for us (1 Peter 1:4). 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. So theres the principle. These were much more perplexing times as we see from the agony of this psalmist: Thou art my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. Bible verses about Blessings. Proverbs 10:22 tells us that "the blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.". Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 1:9,10). And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. These can all be good things, but I think you could also argue that if these blessings lead us further away from God, they are not truly blessings at all. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!. Gods temporal blessings are not inconsistent with suffering. Gods earthly blessings were dependent upon Israels obedience to His Law. His blessings are offered in the form of a promise, and this promise must be believed by faith (see Genesis 15:1-6). Such men say if we employ the right approach, (their approach, usually for a donation), success is assured. The primary goal of Gods perfect plan is to demonstrate the glory of God. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with others in need. Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (NLT), Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in his times of trouble. And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:1-5). 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). Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. The Christian life should be lived out in the light of the superiority of God's promised blessings in comparison to the "blessings" an ungodly world holds out to us (Hebrews 11:24-26). Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Revelation 21 and 22. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. James 1:2-5 on 03/30/2021. Proverbs 15:6 says, "In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked there is trouble.". The first recorded promise of Abrahams son was made when Abraham was seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4).98 Yet the child was not born to Abraham and Sarah until he was one-hundred years old (Genesis 21:5). Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Just as our Lord suffered because of His identification with sinful men, so God has purposed that we who trust in Him should suffer because of our identification with Him. While we should not seek suffering in this life, we should expect it, recognizing it as a part of the plan of a loving God who is bringing about our good and His glory. Let no one boast in men. It is also only in eternity that the curse of God will be fully poured out on sinners. Help me to rejoice always, Father, for this is Your will for me. 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. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He blesses men out of His grace and curses out of His holiness. Why are they wrong? All, as the writer informs us in verse 39, gained approval through their faith. All, as he also reminds us, did not receive what was promised (verse 39, see also Hebrews 11:13). 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. 5:18). And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. Living in the midst of a fallen world itself suffering from the curse of sin (Romans 8:18-25) results in a suffering of soul for the Christian. 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). - THANKSGIVING FOR THEIR DIVINE ORDINATION TO THE BLESSINGS OF GRACE. He also promised Abraham that he would become a blessing to all who would bless him. Philippians 3:8-12 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3). (18) Christians will suffer--and not just for sin. Jeremiah 18:7-10 Heres the principle: in Gods wisdom, the Jewish religion of the Old Testament was largely a come and see religion. Jesus called blessed those who were poor, hungry, and sorrowful. Always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. Abraham had to buy a small parcel of ground for a burial site for his family (Genesis 23:1-20). Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Foolishly, they sought to keep the Israelites subject to them as slaves and to keep them from leaving their land (Exodus 1:8-22). He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Matthew 16:21-27 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. This is the profession of Job: And he said, Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return there. May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes." Psalm 41:1-2 (NIV)