"May the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth bless you from Zion"Psalm 134:3 HCSBWe have traveled a long journey with the Israelites, haven't we? We sang their songs with them as they journeyed and learned their life lessons. As a result, we have been on our own pilgrimage to a higher experience of worship and relationship with God. Now we look at the final words of the Psalms of Ascent and dig out the last nugget of gold they have to offer. The fact that the Maker of the Heavens and Earth blesses us.
What does it feel like to be blessed by God? What impact does it have on your life? We recently talked about the importance of blessing God; but now Psalm 134 is telling us that the reverse is the life blood of our existence. The LORD blesses us. Let that sink in for a moment. The Maker of the heaven and earth blesses you.
God blesses us in order to dramatically change our lives. He wants to alter our outlook concerning the hurt that life brings and draw us closer to Him. He wants to open our eyes to the hope He is offering. The surrender that He seeks from us makes room for the wonderful things He wants to bring into our lives, hearts, and relationships. He is blessing us. Yes, we are to bless God but God blesses us in return. However, consider the fact that the blessings are not and could never be equal.
"...the exchange is quit unequal: to bless God is to acknowledge gratefully what He is; but to bless men, God must make of him what he is not and give him what he has not. " Derek Kidner
God's capacity to bless us greatly outweighs our capacity to bless Him. And what does that mean in our every day lives? Every time we bless God, His return blessings are disproportionate. He doesn't look at our inadequacies and selfishness and hands out blessings accordingly. No,He sees our act of obedience - blessing Him - and lavishes His favor on us. He gives us what we don't have and makes us what we are not.
My friend, don't leave God's blessings behind. Worship Him. Bless Him. and receive what He is offering you.
Journaling Prompts1. Write a letter to God blessing Him and shower Him with gratitude and praise. Then, describe how you feel.
2. What has God given you that you did not have? What changes has He brought into your life and your heart?
3. Is God asking you to take a step of faith in an area of your life? If so, describe the healing that would come to your heart if you take such a step.
What does it feel like to be blessed by God? What impact does it have on your life? We recently talked about the importance of blessing God; but now Psalm 134 is telling us that the reverse is the life blood of our existence. The LORD blesses us. Let that sink in for a moment. The Maker of the heaven and earth blesses you.
God blesses us in order to dramatically change our lives. He wants to alter our outlook concerning the hurt that life brings and draw us closer to Him. He wants to open our eyes to the hope He is offering. The surrender that He seeks from us makes room for the wonderful things He wants to bring into our lives, hearts, and relationships. He is blessing us. Yes, we are to bless God but God blesses us in return. However, consider the fact that the blessings are not and could never be equal.
"...the exchange is quit unequal: to bless God is to acknowledge gratefully what He is; but to bless men, God must make of him what he is not and give him what he has not. " Derek Kidner
God's capacity to bless us greatly outweighs our capacity to bless Him. And what does that mean in our every day lives? Every time we bless God, His return blessings are disproportionate. He doesn't look at our inadequacies and selfishness and hands out blessings accordingly. No,He sees our act of obedience - blessing Him - and lavishes His favor on us. He gives us what we don't have and makes us what we are not.
My friend, don't leave God's blessings behind. Worship Him. Bless Him. and receive what He is offering you.
Journaling Prompts1. Write a letter to God blessing Him and shower Him with gratitude and praise. Then, describe how you feel.
2. What has God given you that you did not have? What changes has He brought into your life and your heart?
3. Is God asking you to take a step of faith in an area of your life? If so, describe the healing that would come to your heart if you take such a step.