“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face
shine upon us…” (Psalm 67:1)
In this time of trouble and drought and insecurities in our country, this
is a prayer often prayed out loud as well as in many a heart – Lord please be
gracious to us and bless us. It translates to – Lord, please solve our crises:
Send us rain, give us financial security, mend marriages…deliver us from our many
difficult circumstances.
The good news is that the beautiful prayer in Psalm 67 has
been answered in the most awesome way! In fact, God has given us more
than we could ever ask for!
Let’s page forward to Ephesians 1:1
“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.”
GOD HAS BLESSED US.
WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING.
WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED IN CHRIST.
We might well ask ourselves: “What does it mean to
have been blessed with every spiritual blessing? It does not mean that I have
been delivered from my current or even future difficult circumstances, does it?”
No. It means much more. It means we have been delivered from a much greater
dilemma. It means that we have been brought out of darkness and into light. It
means that we have received life instead of death. It means that we will not
face the wrath of God which we deserve, but have received forgiveness for our
sins. We have received God’s unmerited favor. We now have peace with God and we
can come into His presence as dearly loved children. Even more, we now have in
us this treasure which is the Holy Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the
Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
LORD who works in us His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We have the precious
promise that we are being conformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ and that
we will share in the inheritance of the righteous – everlasting life in the
Kingdom of Light.
There is no spiritual blessing that we have
not already received in Christ! Indeed, God has made His face shine
upon us!
I know, what about our needs in this current life?
Dear friend, in Christ, we also have the richest blessing
for this
life with its many difficult circumstances. Romans 8:28 reminds us that, IN ALL
THINGS, God works for the good of those who love Him. God is for
us. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he
not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32) Jesus
prompts us in Mathew 7:7 – “Ask, and it will be given to you.”
Do you need wisdom – ask.
Do you need love for your spouse or any other person – ask.
Do you need patience – ask.
Do you need strength to endure – ask.
Do you need to be comforted – ask.
Do you need guidance – ask.
Do you need protection against the evil one – ask.
If we go to our Father and ask Him all that we need to
glorify Him in any and every situation, He will provide.
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the
everlasting God,
the Creator of the
ends of the earth.
He will not grow
tired or weary,
and his understanding
no one can fathom.
He gives strength to
the weary
and increases the
power of the weak.
Even youths grow
tired and weary,
and young men stumble
and fall;
but those who hope in
the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on
wings like eagles;
they will run and not
grow weary,
they will walk and
not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:28-31)
Praise be to God who has
been gracious to us and has blessed us and has made his face shine upon us!
God bless
Lize
