Monday, January 26, 2009

Blessed by God

Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." His promise, "The Lord bless you." God commanded the Old Testament Priest to pronounce this blessing upon His people. This implies God's promise to keep it. Every divine promise is built on the following strong foundations. God's justice and holiness which do not permit Him to deceive. God's grace and goodness which do not permit Him to forget. God's truth which does not permit Him to change and God's power which enables Him to accomplish it. (see Romans 4:21). He promises us His protection. "And keep you." Our protection lies not in the strength of our hold on God, but in the strength of God's hold on us. "Let me no more my comfort draw from my frail grasp on thee; In this alone rejoice with awe-Thy mighty grasp of me." His presence, "The Lord make his face shine upon you." We do not worship an impersonal ideal, a bloodless "Supreme Being," for in Christ we discover that God has a face and on that face is a smile. We must desire the Lord's presence more than the Lord's presents. The Giver is more important than any of His gifts. His personality, "And be gracious unto you." God will never let you down, He'll never let you off, and He'll never let you go. "His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, His power has no boundary known unto man, for out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again." His pleasure, "The Lord lift up his countenance upon you." We are privileged to proclaim the Gospel of the glory of God. We learn in the Scriptures "It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). God is no less God in the hard seasons of life. We used to sing "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me." His peace, "And give you peace." Peace is God's gift. Man made peace, manufactured outside of God's plan, is as phony as a plastic carnation. Samson thought he found peace sleeping in the lap of Delilah, but he awoke to reality (Judges 16:19). What is peace? It is calmness when the trails press, it's a confidence that God knows best, it's a gentleness that's unperturbed, it's a quiet trust as on we plod, it's a sweet reliance on our God. Are you receiving God's blessings today? Receiving His blessings begins with receiving Him. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

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