Blessed people often become the most rebellious. If you don’t believe me, look at God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel. When we are full of good things it is easy to get full of ourselves. How quickly we forget!
When we are seeing answers to prayer, opportunities to serve, favor with people, and gifts of His goodness it should drive us beyond the blessings to the Blesser. Every thing we receive from His hand should cause us to seek His face.
When we are blessed…
- We must remember that it is all mercy. We don’t deserve any of it! In fact, the only thing we deserve is hell and anything better than hell is better than we deserve. “…that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:6-7). It is all God’s gift to underserving sinners.
- We must remember that someone, somewhere is praying. I am convinced that when we get to the judgment seat of Christ we will all be very surprised about who receives the greatest reward. While some are serving on the public stage there are many in God’s “secret service” – interceding and intervening in the private place of prayer. Every time we see special blessing in a gospel or revival meeting I am always reminded that there are faithful prayer partners holding the ropes. Thank God for the prayer warriors!
- We must remember that others paved the way. In a sense, we are ALL building on another person’s foundation. Many have invested in us directly and many more have been used of God to blaze the trail. Dr. Edward Judson, son of the great missionary Adoniram Judson, said, “Suffering and success go together. If you are succeeding without suffering, it is because others before you have suffered; if you are suffering without succeeding, it is that others after you may succeed.”
The truth is that we are all blessed every day. We are blessed people, and we must never forget where it all came from. There are many tributaries, but only one Source.
Meditate on these words that God gave to people who were enjoying His greatest blessings…
When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lordthy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish (Deuteronomy 8:10-19).
Thank God for every blessing, bless the Lord, and ask the Lord to make you a channel of His blessing to others.
