CHASED DOWN BY THE BLESSINGS OF GOD
CHASED DOWN BY THE BLESSINGS OF GOD – PART 1 of …many parts! LOL!!
Text: Deuteronomy 28:1-2. "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."
Deuteronomy chapter 14 is such an intriguing chapter. It speaks of blessings and curses. I am intrigued by the concept of how God blesses a person, how those blessings can be drawn down and how they are manifested.
In 2003, as noted in my publication, a change came about in my health with unexpected and unexplained weight loss. As the years rolled on, I suspect that some folk may have been tethered in Psalm 41:8 while I was living moving and having my being in Psalm 118:17. If you know me well, you know that I have a sense of humour, wry and dry though it is.
I decided to do some research on Deuteronomy Chapter 14 and came up with much interesting spiritual insight. I also have my own thoughts and application which I will share. But let me tell you what others have to say about the blessings of God. The insights come from two sermons I found on line. I have pulled out the salient points of these messages. But if you are interested in reading the messages in their entirety, message me and I will send them to you.
One Pastor says that there are Four Principles Concerning God's Place Of Blessing
Principle one: God is the source of all blessing and those blessings are attached to His commandments. Principle two: God's blessings are activated by our choices. Principle three: God's blessings will overtake us. Principle four: God's blessings come in all shapes and sizes.
Pastor Ron Thomas of the Baptist church then fleshes out each of those principles, doing some excellent exegesis. I could paraphrase it but I encourage you to read the message yourself.
The other sermon
takes another slant and speaks of how you can know if God’s favour is on your
life. YOU REALLY NEED TO READ THIS ONE! The words favour and blessing are used synonymously. The following
markers are given: 1. The abiding
presence of God.
2. Tangible benefit in the lives of others.
3. The fingerprints of God left on the lives of others.
4. Personal refreshing.
5. The work of our hands blessed.
My thoughts and application Part 1.
There is a song called “God Favoured me.” ( http://youtu.be/OeZvzX218qk ) The lyrics are quite compelling. Though not all relevant to my experience, I do see some application. Let me share them with you and if you have never listened to the song, check it out.
LYRICS:
This is my testimony everybody, how God favored me in spite
Of my enemies, and if God did it for me he'll do the
Same thing for you. Don't worry about your haters your haters
Can't do nothing with you. Listen to these words
[Verse 1:]
Love is patient, caring. Love is Kind. Love is felt most when
It's genuine, but I've had my share of love abused, manipulated
And it's strength misused, and I can't help but give you glory
When I think about my story, and I know you favored me
Because my enemies did try but couldn't triumph over me
Yes they did try but couldn't triumph over me.
I'm still here, I'm still alive, I'm still blessed, on my way to
My destiny, because the favor of God is on my life. Let me
Tell you about love.
[Verse 2:]
Love is patient, caring. Love is Kind. Love is felt most when
It's genuine, but I've had my share of love abused, manipulated
And it's strength misused, and I can't help but give you glory,
When I think about my story, and I know you favored me
Because my enemies did try but couldn't triumph over me
Yes they did try but couldn't triumph over me.
They whispered, conspired, they told their lies (God favors me)
My character, my integrity, my faith in God (He favors me)
Will not fall, will not bend, won't compromise (God favors me)
I speak life and prosperity and I speak health (God favors me)
[x2]
Say Yes (Yes), Yes (Yes), Yes (Yes) God favors me
Say Yes (Yes), Yes (Yes), Say Yes (Yes) God favors me (God favors me)
[x2]
The Bible, would you believe it, seeks to the issue of whispering: Psalm 41:7 which precedes verse 8 which I have referenced above. Whispering could be another term for gossiping. Funny enough when folk are taking about others, usually in a negative fashion, it is done in low tones and the tones dip a decibel if the subject under discussion approaches. Now we all know that is true because at some point in our experience, some way along the line it may have happened to us.
“They whispered, conspired, they told their lies (God favors me) My character, my integrity, my faith in God (He favors me) Will not fall, will not bend, won't compromise (God favors me) I speak life and prosperity and I speak health (God favors me)”
When Hezekiah sings it he adds to the words: ‘My character…..my faith in God’ saying they were all held up to question. And indeed he is correct! Such can and does occur when we are travelling a journey people cannot understand. And who can understand your journey, since it is impossible to walk in another person’s shoes! Poignant are the words: “I speak life and prosperity and I speak health (God favors me).” As he sings the song he says: I EVEN spoke health. There is much connotative value in that word. Because the path of faith is very often misunderstood, maligned and misrepresented, some pelt the baby out with the bath water! Such a pity. But the baby is real! Because she has a counterfeit called presumption, sometimes, (as I say in my publication,) she has to come naked and take her blows.
Those who would pummel her to death do not realise that that they will need her as a strong ally when they reach a learning curve in their life’s journey. One of my own made up quotable quotes is: 'Presumption can manage a hundred yard dash, but faith has the strength to run a marathon." I love it!! we run our race in God and he determines when we reach shall the finish line. Very powerful are the words God gives us in Psalm 68: 19 and 20.
Well, I thought this would be a one posting thing but as it is, I have barely scratched the surface of what I want to say. I am making a commitment to be back and share specifically on the blessings of my surrealistic journey with God. Using Deuteronomy 28 as my base, I want to take you along with me on a reflective journey. I will pull in some of what I wrote as far back as 2003 and I think we will have a super duper time. Whoever said the Christian life is boring, why, he never lived it!! See you next post!