Welcome to “Going Deeper with the Word” In this segment, we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review the Word of God. The Word of God provides guidance, direction, and instructions for living our lives and walking with God.
We just talked about noticing the blessings in our lives. Now, I want us to explore what Scripture says about this together.
Let’s review examples from God’s Word that can lead and guide our steps and back up the principles we learned in today’s message. I will read scripture today from the Amplified Bible.
Let’s start off with James 1:17
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].”
James 1:17
In this verse, we see emphasis on the fact that the gifts from above are perfect. Certainly, this helps us to understand that our blessings are indeed perfect because they come from the One where there is never any variation.
He is perfect each and every time, with every single thing that he does. Our blessings (the blessings that we receive from God) therefore are perfected because he is perfect.
Can you think of a recent blessing that you know, with confidence, came from God. What was the blessing and what was the impact it had on your day? “Let us know in the comments”
Let’s have a look at another place in the Bible that speaks to the idea of noticing our blessings.
“Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed].”1 Corinthians 2:9
This is one of the most powerful verses in the Bible that speaks to the idea of blessings. What the scripture clearly says is that we have no idea what God has prepared for those who love Him. When we show God our love, respect, and honor, he prepares blessings for us that we can’t even imagine.
Our minds are so limited when it comes to what God is capable of. When you pair our limitations with the fact that God’s wisdom and ability are infinite and absolute, we end up in a situation where we simply cannot fathom what is coming when He wants to show his love for us.
One of the things I’ve chuckled about over the years in my walk of faith is how I imagine the things I know I want or that my heart desires. Knowing that God is aware of those desires, I’ve caught myself trying to think of all the ways He could respond.
Time and time again, no matter how creative my imagination is regarding how God will show up, he always surprises me. It is always something I wouldn’t have thought of myself. I have had to remind myself that it is a futile effort to try to imagine in advance exactly what He will do, because His plans will always be so much more, and so much better, of a blessing.
When you bring your petitions to God, do you find yourself imagining all of the ways that petition will come to fruition? When God responds, how does the response compare to what you imagined? “Let us know in the comments”
Let’s look at one last passage.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive and green today and tomorrow is [cut and] thrown [as fuel] into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:30-34
In this scripture, Jesus makes clear how God takes such care with matters of the earth, even though they will be discarded.
Since He takes such good care of all the things across the earth and loves us more than we can possibly fathom, He will certainly ensure that we are also taken care of. We need not worry about today, or tomorrow for that matter.
We simply do not need to worry when it comes to placing God first in our lives, because He will walk hand in hand with us through our situation.
Have you ever felt as though God didn’t care about your circumstances? Why or why not? Does this scripture help you to understand the scope of God’s love? “Let us know in the comments”
Thank you so much for joining me on this wonderful series, Daily Doses of Meaning. I hope that it is giving you guidance and direction when it comes to living life day by day with God.
I am also hopeful for those of you who are getting to know God for the very first time, that you have been able to learn how simple it is to approach the Creator of the entire universe, and how simple it is to allow Him to be in your life and walk with you regardless of what you are going through.
In today’s message, we wrap up the series by reviewing how God’s blessings can show up in our life. I truly hope that today’s message helps you to see the lengths to which God will show His love for you. It is my hope that this series has helped you to see how God wants to be present for you every day, even moment to moment.
I invite you to ask God today to lead and guide your steps, and in particular, show you in very tangible ways how He gives you purpose and how He brings meaning into your life.
God bless you, and we look forward to joining you on the next series.
