The blessing of the Lord brings wealth and He adds no trouble to it. ~Proverbs
10:22
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May the Lord grant you all your requests. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. ~Psalm 20:1-4, 5B & 7
When you first read this proverb, it sounds as if, when the Lord blesses you, physically, your troubles here on earth are ended. Well, we all know that’s not true. Just look at Solomon himself. He was blessed, and in truth, he did bring a lot of his problems on himself, but his life was not without its challenges. So, how should we really understand what Solomon means here?
My first thought is of a loving Father, holding out a hand with a gift for his child. Let’s pretend that it is a ten-dollar bill. What loving father would run that bill through the dirt first? Or, suppose he were offering a handful of candy. What father would mix it with baking soda or worse yet, slime? Jesus said, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.” (Matt. 7:11)
Remember, God is not evil, nor is He tempted by evil, that does not mean, however, that we won’t be tested with the blessings we receive. This too is part of the discipline process to help us become wise.
Consider Solomon himself: was any man more blessed than he? When he was asked by the Lord what he would like to receive from him, Solomon chose wisdom. “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king, therefore, wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”” (1 Chronicles 10-12) Notice that God did not add, “and I will make these blessings burdensome.” His blessings were a gift, free and clear to Solomon. It’s what Solomon did with the blessings that he had received that became the trouble and the problem that Solomon endured.
There is a great slogan that I first heard about 8 years ago and I really like it. Put simply it is, “blessed to be a blessing.” When God blesses us, He does so with the same heart that caused Him to bless Solomon. His blessings aren’t tainted. He does not bless to trick us or tempt us to do evil. His blessings are open handed gifts, from your loving heavenly Father to His beloved child. However, He may not be giving it to you for you to keep all to yourself.
Think back to the father with a handful of candy mentioned earlier. As a child, would you need all the candy that could fit in a grown man’s hand? If you ate it all, it wouldn’t necessarily be a blessing in the end, but if you shared it with siblings or friends, think of all the positives that are possible when you do. When He blesses us, He watches us to know how we will handle the blessings we have received. How we handle His blessings reveals our true heart.
This idea of sharing becomes even easier when we can remember from whom those blessings came and the fact that what we are given is only on loan to us for this life, from Him, to begin with. I heard a story recently of a millionaire who lived modestly and chose to give away the majority of what he had for the kingdom because, in his opinion, “it’s all God’s anyway.” When we are able to relinquish ownership of His blessings to begin with, how can there be trouble? They remain His responsibility. Our job is to not hold them tightly, but to share them according to His wisdom with those He guides us to bless.
The biggest blessing that we have received from our heavenly Father is our salvation itself. However, we did not receive that blessing to keep it to ourselves. Over and over in scripture, we are called to share that blessing. There is no trouble with it. Yes, there may be persecution of sorts, but that’s not from God, that is satan trying to snatch your blessing away, but the gift is intended to be a blessing, free and complete. He is watching to see if you share His gift of blessing with others. You were blessed to be a blessing. Go have fun!
Prayer: May the Lord answer you with His presence and peace when you are in distress. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you always. May He send you help from the sanctuary of the Heavenly Throne Room and grant you support as you seek to bless others. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your gifts of love to others offered in His name. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed as you seek to bless others especially with the knowledge of salvation. May the Lord grant you all your requests, especially for your loved ones, that they will be with you in His Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Make Me a Channel Of Blessing
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May the Lord grant you all your requests. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. ~Psalm 20:1-4, 5B & 7
When you first read this proverb, it sounds as if, when the Lord blesses you, physically, your troubles here on earth are ended. Well, we all know that’s not true. Just look at Solomon himself. He was blessed, and in truth, he did bring a lot of his problems on himself, but his life was not without its challenges. So, how should we really understand what Solomon means here?
My first thought is of a loving Father, holding out a hand with a gift for his child. Let’s pretend that it is a ten-dollar bill. What loving father would run that bill through the dirt first? Or, suppose he were offering a handful of candy. What father would mix it with baking soda or worse yet, slime? Jesus said, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.” (Matt. 7:11)
Remember, God is not evil, nor is He tempted by evil, that does not mean, however, that we won’t be tested with the blessings we receive. This too is part of the discipline process to help us become wise.
Consider Solomon himself: was any man more blessed than he? When he was asked by the Lord what he would like to receive from him, Solomon chose wisdom. “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king, therefore, wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”” (1 Chronicles 10-12) Notice that God did not add, “and I will make these blessings burdensome.” His blessings were a gift, free and clear to Solomon. It’s what Solomon did with the blessings that he had received that became the trouble and the problem that Solomon endured.
There is a great slogan that I first heard about 8 years ago and I really like it. Put simply it is, “blessed to be a blessing.” When God blesses us, He does so with the same heart that caused Him to bless Solomon. His blessings aren’t tainted. He does not bless to trick us or tempt us to do evil. His blessings are open handed gifts, from your loving heavenly Father to His beloved child. However, He may not be giving it to you for you to keep all to yourself.
Think back to the father with a handful of candy mentioned earlier. As a child, would you need all the candy that could fit in a grown man’s hand? If you ate it all, it wouldn’t necessarily be a blessing in the end, but if you shared it with siblings or friends, think of all the positives that are possible when you do. When He blesses us, He watches us to know how we will handle the blessings we have received. How we handle His blessings reveals our true heart.
This idea of sharing becomes even easier when we can remember from whom those blessings came and the fact that what we are given is only on loan to us for this life, from Him, to begin with. I heard a story recently of a millionaire who lived modestly and chose to give away the majority of what he had for the kingdom because, in his opinion, “it’s all God’s anyway.” When we are able to relinquish ownership of His blessings to begin with, how can there be trouble? They remain His responsibility. Our job is to not hold them tightly, but to share them according to His wisdom with those He guides us to bless.
The biggest blessing that we have received from our heavenly Father is our salvation itself. However, we did not receive that blessing to keep it to ourselves. Over and over in scripture, we are called to share that blessing. There is no trouble with it. Yes, there may be persecution of sorts, but that’s not from God, that is satan trying to snatch your blessing away, but the gift is intended to be a blessing, free and complete. He is watching to see if you share His gift of blessing with others. You were blessed to be a blessing. Go have fun!
Prayer: May the Lord answer you with His presence and peace when you are in distress. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you always. May He send you help from the sanctuary of the Heavenly Throne Room and grant you support as you seek to bless others. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your gifts of love to others offered in His name. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed as you seek to bless others especially with the knowledge of salvation. May the Lord grant you all your requests, especially for your loved ones, that they will be with you in His Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Make Me a Channel Of Blessing
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