Blessed Beyond Measure

On November 1, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 22: 9              NIV

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.

For some, generosity seems to come naturally. Others of us struggle. I do not believe that this lack of generosity always stems from greed. Sure, some people are tight fisted because they want everything for themselves. They are, in fact, selfish. I think, though, that some of us are generous of heart but fearful. The truth is we are not as generous as we might be because we lack faith in our God and Father. We don’t truly believe He will take care of us. That is why we hold on so tightly.

I have seen much in the scriptures lately about giving and though I consider myself a pretty good giver, I have found myself challenged. I need to do more. One of the things Father has shown me is that sometimes I hold on so tightly to what I have that He can’t get more to me. The expression, tight-fisted, is apropos. My fist is clenched and that is what I present to the Father rather than a hand outstretched and open. He cannot give into a clenched fist.

I am convinced that anyone who really loves God and does a study of the scriptures cannot continue to horde their wealth. These believers give beyond the tithe. They constantly find ways to bless others. I love these folks because they continue to show me ways I can give and I am often overwhelmed by their goodness, which is one of God’s qualities. I am still living in the glow of the outpouring of gifts for the Multiple Sclerosis charity bike ride. Many of you showed the most tender part of your hearts in your giving.

If I may, I would also like to be so honest as to say, some gave nothing. I do not believe it is because they lack kindness. Some may have chosen other charities for the year. That’s fair. Others though, may suffer this depression era mentality that causes us to hold on too tightly to what we have. If that is you, I sympathize because I stumble over that line too. However, there is hope for us and I want us all to be blessed in the full measure that God desires.

Father, bless those people who so demonstrate your kindness in their own giving. Pour out upon them a blessing so large they cannot contain it. And Father, for those who have not become great givers yet, teach us by your gentle Holy Spirit that it is your way and part of our calling. Relieve us of fear and boost our faith in you and your provision. Give us stalwart hearts and bless our giving as you do those who have already learned this important lesson. Father, make us, everyone, givers beyond the ten percent tithe and Father, for those who have not yet learned to tithe, encourage them that this is your way of meeting their need. Give them extra faith in your Word. Challenge them to take this first step. Give us all hearts of the giver, Father that we might be like you, and I thank you for this and bless you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Green Pastures

On October 21, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 6: 38

Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

If you read yesterday’s Word of the Day, you know that Jesus gives us commands and expects them to be obeyed. You will also remember, though, that he gives them in order to guide us on good paths for our own wellbeing. Today’s verse is an excellent example that very thing.

The first word of today’s verse is the command. Give. Jesus could have stopped right there. He instructs us to give. There is a promise attached to this command, but we should understand first that it is a mandate. It is not a suggestion; it is the Word of the Lord. Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6: 46), so let us not delude ourselves into thinking this is a mere inspiration. James said we should prove ourselves doers of the Word (James 1: 22). This is the doing. Give!

Jesus is not, however, an overbearing task master. He does not stand over us with whip in hand barking out orders. He is the good shepherd leading us to the still waters and green pastures (Psalm 23). We must follow Him, submit to his direction and guidance if we wish to lie down in those green pastures. In today’s verse the green pasture is people giving to you in such volume that you cannot contain it. It is running over. Now, the path to that green pasture, the path Jesus is trying to guide us onto is giving.

How fast do you want you receive your overflow? Jesus said you are the master of the measure. If you give with a teacup, your return will be measured in teacups. If you give by the gallon, your return comes by the gallon. The measure you use will be the measure of the return. Overflow comes faster if you use a gallon jug. The more you give the greater the return.

It’s still a command that we give, and that should stand alone, but Jesus commanded it because he is trying to get blessing to you, and he understands how his Father’s kingdom works. Give and you shall receive, good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The commandments and the blessing are tied together.  Follow the instructions of your Lord and be blessed.

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Lucky Me!

On September 28, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 10: 22

It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich.

I have a friend who constantly talks about luck. She also remarks about how lucky I am. I am not lucky. I am blessed and there is a big difference. Sometimes it is frustrating hearing her talk about luck. I keep hoping she will get a revelation that this is what it means to be “blessed of the Lord.” Too right great things happen for me! It isn’t because of me, and it isn’t because I am lucky. It is because we have an awesome Father who sent His blessing into the earth to hunt us down and shower us with His goodness.

Some of you have seen posts about my bike team. I have said many times, “We are the most blessed of all bike teams,” and I mean it. If you could live in my shoes and see how our sponsors have blessed us, you would understand. We have the most fabulous sponsors, and they are terrific not because we have done anything to earn their kindness but because they have the love and joy of the Lord in their hearts. They just bless us because of Jesus. Man, it is totally awesome. And now, we just won a drawing from a local business. They are giving us 50 mini-Bundt cakes for our team tent! Wow! Lucky? I don’t think so. That is the blessing again. It is chasing us down in the street piling God’s love on us. There were over 2000 entries. Some teams had over 200 entries. We had only 60, but we won. It isn’t about statistics. It’s about the blessing.

It is the blessing of the Lord which is at work. The blessing of the Lord makes rich! My friends and family raised $3000 for MS. Are you kidding me with this? That is not luck. That is the blessing at work and all of you who donated, you have your part in the blessing. I just love seeing how the pieces fit together and how the Father is at work wrapping us all up in His blessing. You see, that was His financial plan all along. This is how Kingdom finances work. We keep moving in Him and He generates the flow.

I am not lucky, but I must be one of the most blessed people on the planet. I am overwhelmed by the goodness of our team sponsors, all of you who donated and all the kindnesses which keeps flowing to me and towards our team. I pray that our beloved Father continues to show Himself and the effect of the blessing on each and every one of you so that your unenlightened friends call you the luckiest person they know. May the blessing overtake you.

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Finding Good

On September 20, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 16: 20

One who pays attention to the word will find good, and blessed is one who trusts in the LORD.

I wrote last week on how the Word of the Day got its name and its start. Now here is this verse reminding us that the Word brings goodness to our lives. That is why we must develop our relationship with the Word.

God gave us His Word to guide us. Surely, the guidance of the Lord takes us to places of goodness, refreshing and blessing. I often think of the Bible as a How-to manual. We can get direction about everything in life. The problem is that sometimes we treat it too much like a sacred document or a piece of literature. While it is both, it is first and foremost a functional document and those other aspects can take away from its primary function.

Another problem many of us have is that we were raised on the King James Version. Let’s be honest, most of us don’t understand old English that well. I mean, read the Canterbury Tales and tell me what they mean. While I still like the King James for Luke 2 and Psalm 23 I just can’t use it for everyday enlightenment. If I want it to lead me to good, I need to understand it and for me that is best done with the NASB. In truth, while the NASB is my daily go to Bible, I use a lot of translations so that I can reap the most out of a scripture.

As to the second phrase of today’s verse, I find when we get comfortable with the Word and learn how to find God in it, our level of trust grows exponentially. When I need God, I know He is always waiting for me and will reveal Himself in His Word. I cannot recount the number of times I was desperate to hear from God, opened up my Bible and He spoke to me.

My advice is to get a translation of the Bible with which you are comfortable. Maybe a NIV or NLB will work for you. Then begin to read. Don’t start with Genesis though. Begin with Matthew 1: 1. Read the Psalms and read the Proverbs. If you will read the first four chapters of the New Testament, the Psalms and Proverbs, you will have a great foundation poured. Then, read the rest of the New Testament. By the time you finish, you will be ready for the Old Testament, and you will see it with renewed eyes. There is a lot of great stuff back there but don’t let it overwhelm you. Lay a foundation first. Find your Bible and in so doing, find goodness and blessing.

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Overtaken by Blessing

On August 9, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 10: 22      GW

It is the Lord’s blessing that makes a person rich, and hard work adds nothing to it.

My friend, Chuck, brought this to the attention of myself and a book group we were involved in. Chuck, you see, is Jewish and has studied God’s word all his life. He is a Messianic Jew, a Jew who believes in Jesus as the Christ. The thing is though, through his rich understanding of scripture, Chuck was able to illuminate this verse for us.

Many Christian translations of this verse reframe the meaning. I think translators were uncomfortable with the literal translation. The verse is actually pretty clear when we simply take it as it is. It is the blessing of God that makes a person successful in any facet of life, including but not limited to finances. Rich, in this verse is much larger than financial prosperity but it cannot be eliminated either. That, again, is denial or equivocation. The verse says what it says, and we just have to get comfortable with it.

Many translations read something like this, “It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it” (NASB). Well, the first part is substantially correct, but the second phrase is where we struggle. Think of the Puritan work ethic. We believe we are supposed to be hard workers. However, somewhere along the line, and actually many years ago, we began to believe that our hard work actually produces something. It does not. It is simply our part of the equation. God blesses the work of our hand (Deut. 28: 12), but it is important to understand that it is God’s blessing that causes the increase.

My friend, Ann, and I have been discussing how the blessing literally chases us down in the street. I have got so many people blessing our bike team that one has to recognize the blessing of God. You can’t out give or out bless these folks. No matter what I do to thank or recognize them, they up the ante. That is the blessing of God chasing you down. We are not blessed because of anything I have done. It is not the work of my hand that is causing this blessing. It is the blessing of God working within incredible individuals and my labor has only been obedience. I must obey God in order to be in the right position to receive but it is God who is causing great things to happen. I wish you could just follow along behind me and watch what God is doing. It is amazing! You would very clearly see that it is the hand of God.

The blessing of God makes rich. Hallelujah! I have no performance anxiety or pressure because it isn’t about me. It is about Him and what a relieve that is. I hope you will copy this verse down on a card and post it where you can see it because this verse will set you free. It will give you wings. Work hard just because you want to honor God. Go where He sends and do as He directs but do not worry about the outcome because that is on Him.

Proverb 10:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverb+10&version=NASB1995

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Blessed

On May 12, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 115: 15

May you be blessed of the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.

I have noticed that there is a new expression that has gained much popularity. It seems I hear it mostly on voicemail messages not actually spoken person to person. That expression? “Have a blessed day.”

It is a nice sentiment but at the same time can be pretty empty. I expect that the people who leave this on their voicemail message are very sincere about wishing you to be blessed; I hope they are anyway. But it is good to remind ourselves from where blessings come.

God is the source of all blessing, but we are the hands of the Lord here in the earth. So, although all good things come from above, it is through us that the Lord reaches out to others. And while it is nice to wish others a blessed day, let us not forget that we can effectuate that ourselves. You can be the one that ensures that they have a blessed day by blessing them.

Hasn’t Jesus taught us that it is not enough for us to just say to a hungry person, “Be fed.” He taught us to feed them. When we wish for someone to be fed or to be otherwise blessed aren’t we really saying that I hope someone will bless you today? Aren’t we really expecting the person’s blessed day to come through other people? Well, why should we wait for someone else to have the idea to bless them? It is already in our mind and on our tongue.

Additionally, hungry and homeless people aren’t the only persons needing blessing today. Everyone you see could use a blessing. Also, do some kind thing for someone wherein you have no benefit in the blessing. In other words, bless someone in a way that you are not also reaping a benefit. It is alright to have win/win situations, but we need to learn to do what is in the best interest of others even if it is not in our interest. How much of a blessing is it really if your blessing of someone else is reaping a benefit for you? You’ve got to ask yourself how true your motive is if that is a constant occurrence.

And lastly, become a giver. Let being a giver become part of your personality. Look for opportunities to bless others. Try to figure out a way every day to do something kind for someone. What if we all got in the habit of blessing one person a day? Wouldn’t that be something? We might start some kind of revolution. I think it could really have an impact on our communities. So, shall we start today? Find someone to bless. Do something kind; give to others. I guarantee that you will end up being the most blessed person of all.

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Fingerprints

On April 13, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 28: 6

“Blessed will you be when you come in, and blessed will you be when you go out.”

An apt description of what this verse means in practical terms is that you see Jesus’ fingerprints on the fabric of your life. Or perhaps you like footprints running across the landscape of life. Whichever metaphor you choose, the effect is Jesus’ influence all over one’s life; little drops here, little touches there. Of course, there are the tidal waves of blessing too, but it is the dew drops on every leaf of life that have caught my attention. They could easily be ignored but when you lift your eyes, you see that Jesus is very gently watering every corner of your life. So many of life’s daily matters are simply taken care of, things about which one has not even prayed, things we would not even think to pray about are simply taken care of. It is like the most beautiful of spring days when you open your eyes to find flowers have bloomed where you did not plant.

I have been overwhelmed recently by the sheer number of details Jesus and Father have taken care of for me. It is humbling because these golden touches have nothing to do with my prayer or anything else I have done right. All glory to God, it has absolutely nothing to do with me. Father, in His goodness, knows issues which need attention, and He has been taking care of these things Himself. When I recently lifted my head, I saw Jesus fingerprints were all over my life. He has been busy blessing me. Some of the “little” touches have been nothing less than miraculous. Beyond Yahweh’s kindness is His attentiveness and I praise Him that He is paying attention to the details of my life.

The other side of this is the sorrow that people who don’t have Jesus don’t know how much they are missing. When I see all the little things Father does for me, I realize how barren their lives are. How does one explain the blessing on one’s life? How do we convey the love that Father pours out in even the smallest details? There is such a release of stress, stress we might not even realize we are holding when Father takes these things off our plate. You look around and find matters have just been handled, even matters which haven’t made it to your to do list yet. Problems are resolved before you realize there was an imminent issue. I wish that for everyone. I hope others will see the beautiful grace of Jesus upon our lives and join the club.

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