Warriors Arise: October 20, 2023
Matthew 5:2-12 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
I really like the song by David Crowder, I'm Blessed. Some of the words are "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and all day Saturday, I'm blessed." Does this passage look like Jesus is being stingy with God's blessing?
Not at all, the way I read it, Jesus is trying to bless everyone He can. It is as if He is trying to find a reason to bless the people. If He hasn't seen their eyes light up and identify with one then He gives another blessing, maybe they will identify with that one. By the time He has gotten through all of the blessings, surely, everyone is blessed and rewarded in some way.
Then He wants them to know, not only are they blessed, but there is a reward. His Father has a reward for them. If they have identified with any one of the categories He has shared then they are in line for a reward.
It is not that they are blessed because of the hardship, they are blessed because God sees them in their hardship and has already decided He is going to reward them. It is like when a child has surgery and everyone wants to give them a gift for being a big boy for getting through it. They didn't stop what was happening. They didn't tell the surgeon, "We aren't going to let you do this to him." No, they let it happen and on the other side of the hardship, they reward him for being a big boy. And if grandma is around, he can have as many cookies as he wants. He is rewarded well for his trouble.
Would God like to prevent the bad things from happening? Absolutely. However, there are some bad things He allows because it is going to give us the opportunity to trust Him and to know His goodness, provision, and healing. Not only are we blessed before the bad thing happens, we are also given a reward afterward.
Can you look back in your life and see where you have had to endure a hardship?
Can you identify God's blessing before the hardship?
Can you identify the reward that followed?
This may take a few moments as you allow the Holy Spirit to show you. I believe God's word is true.
For instance, God told me to write a book. I was not happy about that assignment, but I did it. It went to print and I began selling it at conferences. Then our daughter was diagnosed with A.L.L. Leukemia. The day after her diagnosis my book could be bought from Amazon. While we were battling for her life, the Lord revealed that He had me write the book so I would be ready for this battle. Fifteen months later, Lydia is declared cancer free. We had walked to hell and back. It was a devastating time, but God blessed me before the battle and His reward was great! Lydia is alive and prospering. She is focused on her calling and in alignment with her God-given destiny.
Father, I ask for You to go back with me to before the hardship. Open my eyes to where You blessed me before the battle. I want to see You at that time. Open my eyes to see the reward of my suffering. What was the reward for that devastation? It isn't that I am pressing for a reward but I surely do not want to miss it either. I want to be able to praise You for the blessing, getting em through the devastation and walk in the reward You have given me. Thank you for the blessing, getting me through and the reward that followed in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
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