Title: The Blessed One
Contents
Bible Text: Psalm 37:16-24
those who have received the blessing of the Lord
The blessed of the Lord, who is blessed? The Bible answers: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. It bears fruit, and its leaf never withers, so that all its deeds prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3).
The word “blessed one” means “those who prosper” or “those who succeed” and means that their wishes come true. Because those who are blessed are blessed. It was given by God, the source of all blessings. How can I know that I have received the Lord's blessing? You can tell by looking at the fruits of life. I will show you those who have received the blessing of the Lord. May you receive the blessing of the Lord and live as a blessed person.
You are satisfied with your possessions.
“It is better for the righteous to have less than the wicked have riches (verse 16). Those who are blessed by the Lord are the righteous. “The righteous” here does not mean a righteous person without sin. You are a righteous person because God justifies you. How is a sinner justified? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. ...believe in the justifying God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3,5) Hallelujah! We have received the blessing of the Lord that we are justified by faith in God.
“Blessed are the nations that have made the LORD their God, a people taken away for God’s inheritance” (Psalm 33:12).
Those who make Jehovah their God do not live in abundance. Paul said, “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:8). Those who have received the blessing of the Lord do not complain by comparing themselves with the abundance of the wicked. Small complaints turn into jealousy, and jealousy leads to slandering others.
Those who have received the blessing of the Lord are worth more than possessions. They are people who live with joy in God. God is the source of joy. They also need money to live, but they do not depend on it, but on God.
“...rejoice in the Lord, and he will give you the desire of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). We believe that God loves us. He also gave his only begotten son, so I wonder why he won't give everything. This is our belief.
Nehemiah said, The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). To rejoice in Jehovah means to be “with Jehovah,” “beside Jehovah,” “before Jehovah,” or “in the presence of Jehovah.” Those who are blessed by the Lord are those who live in fellowship with Him and walk with Him in His presence.
Happiness is not in possession. In English, happiness is called happiness, which means that the right thing happens within you. make you content. Self-sufficiency is feeling good enough for yourself. If you receive God's blessing, you will be content.
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though there are no grapes on the olive tree, though the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, I rejoice in the LORD, I will rejoice in God; the Lord GOD is my strength; he will make my feet like deer's and make me walk on high” (Hab 3:17-19).
Habakkuk, who received the blessing of the Lord, rejoices in God's salvation. It is God, not wealth, that gives him strength. The Lord GOD is my strength! I hope that you will live a life in which you do not lack even with a small income, taking God as your inheritance. May your steps be like deer.
Even in days of famine, there is abundance.
“They will not be put to shame in trouble; they will have abundance in the day of famine” (verse 19).
Those who have received the blessing of the Lord have abundance even in the days of famine. What is a famine? Because of natural disasters, there is nothing to eat and they die of starvation. At least there is nothing to eat. There was also a famine in Abram's day. As Abraham went down to Egypt to escape the famine, he said to his wife, "You are a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, ... I will kill you, and you will live. You are my sister." Then I will be safe and my life will be spared. will be preserved.”
Not surprisingly, when Abram arrived in Egypt, when he saw Sarai's beauty, Pharaoh took him to the palace. Pharaoh took Sarai and gave Abram sheep, cattle, slaves, donkeys, and camels. It wasn't that he got some money and lost his wife. The Lord brought calamity upon Pharaoh's house because of Abram's wife. Pharaoh was astonished and called Abram and said, “Why have you done this? Why didn't you tell me you were my wife? You said you were my sister, so I tried to take you as a wife. Here is your wife, take her.” Abram obtained many wealth during the famine and became prosperous (Genesis 12:10-20).
Wherever they go, God helps those who have received God's blessing. The impossible becomes possible, and the previously closed door opens. Abram was the one who changed his family. Until now, it was a house that made and sold idols, but from now on, it has become a house that lives according to the word of God. I hope you will become a person who brings good fortune into your family. I hope that you will become a spiritual entrepreneur who values worship and inherits the faith to serve God with sincerity and sincerity.
A young artist painted a picture, but it is not sold because the economy is not good. “It takes 3 days to draw a picture, but 3 years to sell a single picture, so how do you make a living!” and grumbled. When the elder writer heard that, he said, “Hey, change your mind! You drew a picture in three years. Then it will be sold in three days.” He said that if it takes three years and three days to draw for three years and sell it in three days, a masterpiece will come out and sell at a high price.
There is a saying that there is good luck out of misery, but it is those who have received the Lord's blessings who make good luck in the midst of bad luck. If you can know the taste of worship, pray, and listen to God's word during a recession, that's really fortunate in a recession. Fortune (多幸) is a person who “has many things, will be happy”. It is not a good luck, but a blessing from God. Jacob met his son Joseph, who became prime minister in Egypt through famine, and it is because of the famine that Jacob's family emigrated to Egypt, the most civilized country at the time.
Famine also has a meaning. The winter tree does not seem to grow, but the part that grows a little becomes strong. During winter, the strength is increased to strengthen the inner body.
Even if you fall, you get up again
“He stumbles, but not at all, for the Lord upholds him by his hand” (verse 24). Disasters strike anyone and anyone can stumble. Like Job, you can lose everything. But Job did not perish. Job got up again. Job received more blessings in his last years than at the beginning. After losing all his children, he regained seven sons and three daughters, and the lost property was restored and he gave his daughters the same inheritance as his sons (Job 42:12-16).
Although Joseph was unfairly sold and imprisoned, it was the channel of blessing that turned his life into glory. Joseph was always with God. Potiphar bought Joseph. Man was sold like an animal, but even then, because the Lord was with Joseph, he prospered, and the owner saw that the Lord was with Joseph (Genesis 39:1-3).
Even when he went to prison, God was with him. “Joseph was in prison, but the Lord was with him and increased mercy to him” (Genesis 39:20-21). This is the appearance of those who have received the blessing of the Lord.
There is a word "on the contrary". It's the same thing, but sometimes it's used for the worse, sometimes it's used for the better.
There was a woman who had suffered from hemorrhage for 12 years. It is said that he visited many doctors and treated them, but he was only suffering, wasted all his wealth, had no effect, and “instead,” it got worse. Hearing the news of Jesus, he joined the crowd and came back and touched Jesus' clothes, thinking, believing that if he just touched him, he would be healed, but soon the source of the bleeding was healed (Mark 5:25-29).
Apostle Paul is the one who received the Lord's blessing, and "on the contrary" is used as a conversion from bad to good. “Brothers, I want you to know that what happened to me has actually made progress in the preaching of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). The Philippians thought that putting Paul in prison would hurt him and prevent him from preaching the gospel. However, by sending Paul to prison, the gospel was preached to the prisoners and the prison guards. The Jews put them in prison with malice, but on the contrary, the gospel reached Caesar's house, and ultimately the gospel took hold of the Roman emperor and the Roman Empire.
Everyone! Don't be discouraged. Don't be disappointed. The dirtiest house in the world is the shit house, and the tastiest house is the chicken shit house. He glorifies you in the most humble places. “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
God has called us. He justified us and He will glorify us. We are the blessed ones of the Lord.
Those who have received the blessing of the Lord do not lack even if they have many things. God is our shepherd, and leads us to the green grass and to the quiet brook. We have no shortage. Your goodness and mercy will follow us.
Even when famine comes, there is no shortage. “…I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their descendants begging for food” (Psalm 37:25).
Even if you fall, you get up again. Severed hair grows back. Jesus said to Lazarus' sister Martha. I said, “Didn’t I say, “If you believe in you, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) Even Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, was raised to life by the Lord.
“I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our tribulation in Asia, that we suffered exceedingly hard for our strength, and lost our hope of life, and we thought that we ourselves were condemned to death, so that we should not rely on ourselves. but trust in God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).