Am I Blessed?

No, this is not a trick question. But it is a question that deserves asking.

Some will consider the economy, and say, “I used to be blessed before I lost my job.” But we know blessings are far more than jobs or money.

Others will say, “Yes, I’m blessed. I have my health and my family.” This is a good answer, but it’s still incomplete. After all, there are those who are in poor health, or those who have lost family members. Are they not blessed?

The biblical idea of blessing is much different than our measures today. In Romans 4:7-8, Paul writes this (quoting Psalm 32)…

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

I am blessed if my sins are forgiven. And everyone who turns from their sins and trusts in Christ has been forgiven. Not only is that the truest measure of being blessed, but that blessing is forever.

Jobs will come and go. The economy will be up and then down. Health fades. Family members will pass away. But the one who trusts in the Lord is blessed - forever.

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‘Is This Really All There Is?’

In our darker moments, this question can easily slip into our consciousness. But the question itself usually points to one of two bigger problems:

1. We’re forgetting about eternal life, or …
2. We’re temporarily blinded to the goodness and grace of God in this life.

Whatever the case, our sin always has a way of distorting reality.

Then we read Bible passages like this. …

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, 9 - “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?… What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

Solomon (in the lineage of Jesus) is writing God’s inspired word, telling the depressing truth of the sum of all life were it not for redemption. We live, we pay taxes and we die. As my crazy uncle used to say, “Thrills and bills - that’s what life is all about.”

Left to himself, the height of man’s existence on this earth is like a bad weather report - mostly cloudy with scattered moments of happiness and a 100% chance of futility.

But we know for those in Christ, this life is not all there is. The raw truth of no purpose in life outside of Christ should serve as a gracious reminder today of how merciful and good God is in rescuing us from a pointless existence by reconciling us to Himself in Christ. Through Jesus, we are called to glorify God. And only because of Jesus, we are saved … from our sin, from God’s wrath, and from a meaningless wandering in the wilderness.

My sinful heart is still tempted to aimlessness at times. But praise God for His word that reminds me that my purpose is His glory, in Christ Jesus. Praise His name forever.

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‘Not Rich, Not Poor’

Proverbs 30:8-9 - “… give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”

Wow, what a prayer. Have you ever prayed this? I have not. But I’m going to start.

“God, I don’t want either riches or poverty. If I’m rich, I will be tempted to forget you. If I’m poor, I’ll be tempted to steal. Give me food for today, and let me be completely satisfied in you.”

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. -Psalm 90:14

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Jesus: The Scarlet Thread - Through the Whole Bible

We know that the Bible is our means of fellowship with the holy, perfect God. The Bible is the actual word of God, without error, and contains everything we need to be saved and to live our lives trusting in God for everything. We know that the Bible tells one story. Although there are 66 books with 40-some authors written over the span of about 4,000 years, there is but one story, the story of Jesus Christ reconciling sinful man with a holy God. Jesus is the scarlet thread that ties the Scripture together. Behold our scarlet thread, the author and finisher of our faith:

• Jesus is God, has always been God, all things were created through Him (John 1)
• Holy, perfect God created the world in 6 days (Genesis 1)
• God created man in His image and it was good (Genesis 2)
• Man fell into sin (Genesis 3)
• Creation/Creator (Romans 1)
• All men have sinned (Romans 3)
• The wages of sin is death (Romans 6)
• We need a Savior! A Savior is coming (Isaiah 53)
• Jesus is our Savior! The four gospels (John 20)
• Jesus lived the perfect life, obeyed the law, and ransomed the church by atoning for our sin in His finished work on the Cross (Colossians 1)
• All believers saved by faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2)
• All those whom He saves He will keep (Romans 8 )
• Jesus will return (1 Thessalonians 4)
• All believers will be restored and we will spend eternity worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Revelation 4)
• We can pray with John in (Revelation 22) “Come Lord Jesus.”

Amen.

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