Thursday, July 17, 2014

Blessings In Disguise



I struggle with the word
 Blessings. 
Do you? 

Why does one person seem more blessed than another?

If something bad happens in our life are we being punished, or chastised, or is it a natural consequence for the way we conducted our life prior to the event that brought us unhappiness, or grief?

Recently I had to look at this in the face. My husband was spared because he listened to his body, and got to the Dr. in time to take care of a life threatening  situation. He was aware of his body, he listened to the tap on his shoulder.(I believe that tap was God’s voice.)

What if he had not listened? The natural consequence for that action would have most likely been his death. 

Would that have been a punishment? In a way I guess it is. If you think about it, we are given many warnings in life, not just with our health, but with our circumstances, and the way we conduct our lives, and the way we treat our relationships.

God’s word tells us to be obedient, and we will be blessed.

Sometimes we need to stop, and look inside, and look really hard at what part did we play in the outcome of our lives. 

Often times I think if we stay open to the lessons we are to learn by the experiences, people and consequence we have in our lives, we can see where God’s hand was there all along.

Our pastor gave a sermon on why bad things happen to good people. He said it is either for protection, or correction. 

The bottom line is WE must listen to God’s word. 

WE need to listen to that still small voice inside of us that is telling us exactly what we need to do, or to take care of.

Do things happen for what seems to be no apparent reason? 

In our earthly minds, absolutely YES! But if we were able to look at it from a Heavenly plain, or in God’s way we would see it so clearly.

 Do I question these 
unexplainable things?...

...You bet I do, but when I really start looking at it from my heart of faith, I know that God is omnipotent, and he has a plan that is bigger than just me, or the thing that just happened in my life.

We never know who is watching, or listening to us. What will they see?....
 
....Will they see someone that is so broken that they only show how life has dealt them a bad hand. Or will they see someone that seems to have been dealt a bad hand in the eyes of the world, and YET they seem to have a peace, and a grace that goes beyond human understanding.

That is the GRACE of God!

The ultimate GRACE we can all receive is when we turn our lives over to God, and except Christ as the ruler of our hearts. 

When we follow Gods plan, and his way it does not mean our lives will be perfect, but if we truly believe in his GRACE we will be able to move forward, and onward, hopefully glorifying him in all things.

In my reading to understand better what is a BLESSING I read the following………

The ultimate blessing that God has given is the new life and forgiveness that comes through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. The material blessings we enjoy from day to day are temporary, but the spiritual blessings available to us in Christ encompass time and eternity, as well as material and immaterial things. As the Psalmist said, “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God” (Psalm 146:5).

My prayer for your life, and for my own is that we look at our lives through the eyes that God has given us by his GRACE and to truly love, and follow his word. 

He is always there, and always talking to us. Look for his hand, and listen to his voice in your everyday life.