JESUS DELIGHTS IN BLESSING HIS PEOPLE
Many Christians think God delights only in chastising and correcting us. Not so! The Bible tells us He takes no pleasure in disciplining us. On the contrary, Jesus says, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). He assures us, "I'll give you everything you need — because My heart is set on blessing you!"
Nowhere in the Bible do we find Jesus cursing anyone (the only thing He cursed was a fig tree). No preacher, apostle, prophet or shepherd in history ever blessed people more than Jesus did. He pronounced blessings everywhere He turned.
Consider the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are you who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are you if you hunger and thirst after righteousness. Blessed are the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted, the reviled." Everywhere Jesus turned He pronounced, "Blessed . . . blessed . . . blessed."
Jesus took children into His arms and blessed them. He blessed those who held feasts for the poor, crippled, lame and blind: "He lifted up his hands, and blessed them" (Luke 24:50).
It touches my heart deeply that Jesus' last words before He left His disciples were words of blessing. Luke says, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures" (Luke 24:45). And then ". . . he blessed them" (verse 51).
At this point you may be thinking, "I can understand how the Lord would bless children, or new converts, or even Christians in poor countries who need miracles just to have food. I can see how He would bless imprisoned believers in foreign countries, miraculously providing them with glorious revelations of Himself. But me? Well, I don't think I ever live up to the light I have received and I don't feel worthy of His blessings."
Beloved, I hope you understand by now that you will never be worthy of God's blessings. No one earns His blessings. Rather, He comes to us — strictly in His mercy and grace — and bestows on us spiritual blessings beyond our comprehension.
Nowhere in the Bible do we find Jesus cursing anyone (the only thing He cursed was a fig tree). No preacher, apostle, prophet or shepherd in history ever blessed people more than Jesus did. He pronounced blessings everywhere He turned.
Consider the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are you who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are you if you hunger and thirst after righteousness. Blessed are the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted, the reviled." Everywhere Jesus turned He pronounced, "Blessed . . . blessed . . . blessed."
Jesus took children into His arms and blessed them. He blessed those who held feasts for the poor, crippled, lame and blind: "He lifted up his hands, and blessed them" (Luke 24:50).
It touches my heart deeply that Jesus' last words before He left His disciples were words of blessing. Luke says, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures" (Luke 24:45). And then ". . . he blessed them" (verse 51).
At this point you may be thinking, "I can understand how the Lord would bless children, or new converts, or even Christians in poor countries who need miracles just to have food. I can see how He would bless imprisoned believers in foreign countries, miraculously providing them with glorious revelations of Himself. But me? Well, I don't think I ever live up to the light I have received and I don't feel worthy of His blessings."
Beloved, I hope you understand by now that you will never be worthy of God's blessings. No one earns His blessings. Rather, He comes to us — strictly in His mercy and grace — and bestows on us spiritual blessings beyond our comprehension.