The Blessing of Purpose

…because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11 NLT

As another year comes to an end, many of us begin to look back over the months and days of our lives. Often, we begin pondering our purpose.
Why are we in the place we are in? Are we making a difference with our life? What has been accomplished in the nearly 365 days we have just lived?

If you are pondering such thoughts, or asking God such questions, I want to encourage you that each moment you have spent this year was not in vain.
…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 NKJV

As a believer in Christ, God has a plan and purpose for you—one that is good–one that He will bring to fruition in His time.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremaih 29:11 NKJV

Psalm 138:8 ESV says: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;” Therefore, you can be sure that He is always at work day and night to bring about what is needed in your life to fulfill His purpose for you.

Perhaps your circumstances were not as you thought they should be this year. Perhaps you suffered setbacks, adverse situations, or delays.
Perhaps you encountered obstacles that you had a hard time overcoming or perhaps you were slowed down from moving forward because of some difficulties.
Just trust and believe that God was with you through it all and know that He is working all things out to accomplish His purpose in your life.
Know that nothing can stop the plan and purpose He has for you.

So, as you look back over this year, I encourage you to pause and praise Him for what He has done, is doing, and will still do for you.

For we [believers] are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

The Blessing of His Riches

Last month I remember reading in the news about the discovery of a rare blue diamond in a mine in South Africa. It was the size of an acorn and was worth millions of dollars.  Previously, other rare diamonds had been found in that same mine which were also very valuable.  
I am sure the company that owes the mine is very pleased to have found such riches.

Many people would love to have found such monetary wealth, however, as we have often seen, money and/or material possessions are not something that automatically brings happiness, for many people with such wealth are not happy.
Money is necessary in this life to purchase the things we need, however, many people who “have it all”, money and material wise, often say their life is empty or unfulfilled. 
So what good are riches if they don’t bring happiness ? 

There are riches that do offer happiness. 
They are God’s spiritual blessings in Christ.
As believers, we have many riches in Christ, in fact, scripture tells us that we have “exceeding riches” ! (Ephesians 2:7)
Riches are not just defined as monetary, they can be large amounts of possessions, but not necessarily material possessions.
Riches are also good things that are available to use.  Scripture tells us that “every good and perfect gift comes from abpve” (James 1:17)
Therefore, believers have been given many good and perfect gifts, treasures and riches from God, our heavenly Father.
Some of them are the redemption we have through Christ’s shed blood, the forgiveness of sins, the riches of God’s grace and mercy. 
They are the blessings of God’s kindness and favor towards us, the peace we have in Christ, and the wisdom, power, and might of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

God has richly blessed us everything we need daily to live successfully in this world.  We are rich in Him.  We need nothing more.

So let’s think upon this and stop looking to the world or our flesh for our supply.  Let’s begin using the riches God has provided us with. Let’s begin digging deep in His word where we will find golden nuggets of truth that will be even more valuable than any blue diamond ever could be. Let’s walk in the many blessings we have been given and we will soon discover how rich we really are!

Blessed by Blessings

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ… Ephesians 1:3

A few days ago I was blessed by a friend with a gift of home-grown apples.  The apples were beautiful to look at and since I love that fruit I rejoiced at receiving them.
Once I got home, however, I had the choice to use them or just let them sit there in the bag looking and smelling delicious. 
Responsibility comes with the receipt of a gift, for a gift is of no use unless it is used. 
I thought about this as I took those apples out of the bag, washed and peeled them, chopped them and prepared them to be put into a pie.  Using this wonderful gift entailed work, but, the end result offered a blessing that I could enjoy and share with others–
a yummy home-made apple pie!

Believers, God has blessed us with so many spiritual blessings in Christ!  Are we using them? 
It behooves us to think upon all that we have received to see if we are using what we have been given and if so, are we also sharing it with others?

Let’s not let one day go by that we neglect to seek out and use a spiritual blessing that we have been given, for gifts are meant to be used, and as they are, they bring joy to us as well as to others.

The Blessing of Blamelessness

Ephesians 1:4

It wasn’t that I didn’t spill the milk…I did.  It wasn’t that I didn’t admit to spilling the milk…I did.  It wasn’t that I didn’t say I was sorry…I did.
But….He acted as if it never happened.  He acted as if He never saw it.  I was dumbfounded.  

I grabbed some paper towels and wiped all the spilled milk up.  It made me feel better that all was clean, and back to normal, except,
the milk jug, it was almost empty and there was no way I could replace what had been lost.  No amount of apology or cleaning would bring more milk into that jug.

I went to Him with head hanging low.  With tears in my eyes I said ” I am sorry, I really didn’t mean to spill the milk, it just sort of slipped out of my hand.  I don’t know why.
Now there is not much left for us for supper and there is no way I can get us anymore right now.  I am sorry.  I just won’t drink any milk tonight.  You can have what is left.”

He looked at me and said ” What milk? What spill? Child, My Son, Jesus has this covered.  In Him you are blameless.  I do not see anything of which you are speaking.  
Go your way and rejoice that in Him you are forgiven.”  

Blamelessness is a Blessing we receive in Christ. We don’t deserve it, but God in His grace offers it to us because of our belief in His Son Jesus.

In Christ we are holy and can stand before God in love, not blame, because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  

When God looks at us He only sees Christ.  Any sins we may have committed are covered by Christ’s blood which was shed for us on the Cross at Calvary.

In Christ we are blameless, forgiven, accepted.   What a Blessing!

He (God)  chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame (blameless) before Him (God) in love, Ephesians 1:4 NKJV

The Blessing of Knowledge

Someone just posted a picture of a set of World Book Encyclopedias on Facebook asking if anyone remembered them.
I remembered them, but only as something I had wished to own and never did, as my parents could not afford to purchase those
wonderful books of knowledge. However, I do remember using them, for I had access to them through the school library or on visits to our local city library. And as much as I appreciated being able to use them that way, owning a set of my own would have been so much better.
I remember thinking as a child how wonderful it would be to have my own set sitting on a bookshelf at home available for me to pull out and use anytime I wanted to. I thought having access to all that knowledge would be such a a blessing!

Now, as a believer in Christ, I am rejoicing that I am blessed with Knowledge that is all my own.
In Christ, God has given me the knowledge to know Him and His truth. This knowledge is within me.
I do not have to go to anyone else or go anywhere else to receive it, for His Holy Spirit reveals His truth, wisdom and knowledge to me daily.

Voltaire said  All men are born with a nose and ten fingers, but no one was born with a knowledge of God.

God said,  in Christ are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)  therefore, if man wants knowledge of God he needs Christ, for it is in Him that man finds the knowledge of God.

Knowledge is one of the 54 Spiritual Blessings in Christ that believers receive.
Knowledge is such a wonderful blessing for with it the mystery of God’s will is revealed to us.
With knowledge God’s word becomes clear to us, our minds are no longer darkened to the truth, we have the ability to know God’s plan and purpose for our lives daily.

Let’s rejoice and give thanks daily that in Christ, we have been blessed with Knowledge!

Thankful for Blessings

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Daily Blessings

This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24 [NKJV]

Sunny days here in Oregon are often few and far between, so when one comes along we Oregonians get excited and today is one of those days!

It is the middle of October, 73 degrees outside, sunshine is bathing the fall colors so that they vibrantly glow.  Red, yellow, orange, brown, gold, and green leaves swirl, leap and jump across my path as a gentle breeze blows my hair.  

“What a beautiful day!  Isn’t it exciting!”  a lady behind me exclaims as we leave the grocery store.
 “Yes,!”  I reply ” We better enjoy it!”   
“Oh, I am”  she says.  ” I had some vacation time l left at work, so I chose to take this morning off.  I just had to be outside to experience this day!”  

Her enthusiasm was so vibrant.  It was refreshing to meet someone who was excited to be alive and taking time to enjoy God’s creation.
I am sure God was smiling at her words.  

Thank You Lord, for blessing us with beautiful, sunny, vibrant days that awaken our senses to You and your creation.  Thank you for the warmth, rich fall colors, and  gentle breezes.  But…thank You also, for everyday You give us, even those wet, dreary, cloudy days or the cold, blustery ones, that cause us to run inside for cover. For I know that all days have their purpose and they all contain a blessing from You if we will but look.  

It is not hard to rejoice and be glad for today’s sunshine but, in Oregon, it is often difficult to give thanks for the rain.  However, each, is a day the Lord has made, and we can rejoice and give thanks because He has given us another day of life to live abundantly for Him!

Let’s be enthusiastic, excited, to experience each day of life, for no matter what the weather, the Lord has made the day and wants us to rejoice and be glad in it!

The Blessing of Enough

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He [God] will give you everything you need.  –Jesus  (Luke 12:31 NLT)

Do you you ever think that perhaps you need something more in your life?  Perhaps you feel that you are not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, or wealthy enough?  Well, I want to let you know today that we  Believers, are blessed with more than enough!

One of our riches in Christ is Abundance.  God abundantly gives us everything we need to fulfill His plan and purpose for us in this world.  Paul says in Ephesians 3:20 that God ” is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power [Holy Spirit] that works in us, “ If we are seeking His kingdom above all else, we will be walking in His Abundant Blessings!  And, Abundance is more than enough!

So the next time you start feeling that you aren’t doing enough, or that your life doesn’t amount to enough, remember that in Christ you have been blessed with more than enough to accomplish the plan and purpose God has just for you!  All you have to do is start walking in what you have already been given.

The book of Ephesians lists 54 Spiritual Blessings in Christ that you have received and Abundance is just one of those blessings!   A Devotional Book titled “54 Spiritual Blessings in Christ” will soon be published.  It lists each Blessing, Thoughts on how to walk in that Blessing, a suggested Prayer and a Journal Page to record your thoughts on it all.  If you would like to be notified when this book will be available for purchase just EMAIL ME and I will add you to the Book’s Notification List. 

Here, in future blog posts, I will be discussing each of the Blessings we have received and how we can claim and walk in them daily.  I hope you will visit often or subscribe so you don’t miss out on learning about all the Riches you have received in Christ!

I also invite you to check out Holley Gerth’s Blog post:                   You Are Enough!   Holly shares that in God’s Heart YOU are ENOUGH!  http://www.holleygerth.com/heart-to-heart-with-holley/2011/10/4/you-are-enough.html