Tag: blessing

Psalm 134 – Bless the Lord

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

 

Mountain staircase

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the Lord.

May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion. (NRSV)

Psalms 120-134 comprise a collection of short songs of ascent meant to guide Jewish pilgrims in their communal trek up to the city of Jerusalem, and ultimately to the temple mount.  The rhythm of the pious ancient Israelites centered round particular festivals, seasons, and Sabbath.  Taking the annual pilgrimage to the Holy City was an especially anticipated time of year.  This yearly cycle brought both increased faith and needed spiritual stability to the people.  It reminded them of the sound theology that God cannot be moved, and he will always be there.

This, psalm, as the last in these songs of ascent, is something of a benediction. It is a blessing – for both God and the worshiper. To “bless” is to express approval. When God blesses people, it is a divine endorsement upon their lives. In other words, God’s blessing is an encouraging sanction that the worshiper is authentic – she is the real deal. In the context of this psalm, the worshiper is anticipating that God will approve of the praise, adoration, and sacrifice given when they reach the temple mount.

Conversely, when people bless God, they are expressing confirmation that God is who he says he is – he keeps his promises and his divine character is always just, good, and loving. We tend to not be in the habit of offering blessings, that is, unless someone sneezes in the room. Yet, blessing is an important and integral dimension to spirituality.

At the end of the age, there will be unceasing blessing pouring forth from all God’s creatures:

Then I [the Apostle John] looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. (Revelation 5:11-14, NKJV)

This all causes me to wonder what our daily lives would be like if they were shaped with rhythms of blessing God. The psalmist knew something about this:

“Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.” (Psalm 119:164)

Here are a few ideas for you to take or leave:

  • Today, set seven alarms and space them throughout the day (i.e. every 2 ½ hours). When the alarm goes off, stop what you are doing and take a minute to say today’s psalm aloud and/or other Scripture. At the end of the day, count your blessings from this activity and express them to God.
  • If you have stairs in your home, keep a small Bible next to the bottom of the staircase. Every time you go up, take the Bible in hand, and read one of the psalms of ascent as you walk up. Many of them (like today’s) are short enough to say at least once before you reach the top of the stairs. After a few days or a week of doing this, count your blessings and share with another about your experience.
  • In this time of virtual communication and reliance on the phone, call or connect with a few friends and together read aloud some or all the psalms of ascent. Then, share your blessings and bless God with one another.

The big idea here is that the biblical psalter is a book of poems, songs, and prayers which are meant to have liberal use. They were designed for worship. How will you worship God today?

Click 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) sung by Chris Tomlin as we are mindful of God’s goodness.

Ephesians 1:3-6 – Blessed to Belong

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

blessed to belong

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (NIV)

We tend to live up to how we view ourselves.  If we see ourselves as never getting ahead and needing to lie, cheat, and steal to obtain anything in this life, then we will view ourselves as common thieves.  If we think that the only way to have love and security in this life is to make ourselves as presentable as we possible can, then we will view ourselves as basically unlovely and search for love in all the wrong places by always trying to keep up appearances.  If we look at ourselves as stupid, then we will tend to make poor decisions even when it’s in our ability to make good choices because we see ourselves as unable to compete with those smarter than us.

The common theme in all these scenarios is that it is life lived apart from God.  Without him, we are like lost street children trying to just survive from day to day.  What we need, what we search for is to have a good blessed life in a loving home, a place to belong in a world of disconnection.

To be “blessed,” to have “blessing” in the Holy Scriptures is to have God’s stamp of approval on your life.  Let that reality sink-in for a moment….

The picture being painted at the very beginning of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus was that they were like wayward children roaming the streets as orphans.  The Ephesians were ensconced in their idol worship of Artemis, the fertility cult goddess.  They were going about life without a whim about the true and living God of all.  In sheer grace God plucked them from their worthless condition and adopted them.  He placed his blessing upon them because of his love.

What’s more, the Ephesians were chosen and predestined for holiness and purity.  God set them apart for his blessing.  It’s as if he brought them into his kingly palace, provided lavishly for them, and let them have the run of the place.  They got to enjoy every blessing that came with being children of the king.

The focus and orientation of these verses is about how tremendously special the believer in Jesus really is.  And it has nothing to do with how presentable we are to a holy God.  Instead, out of the storehouse of his blessed grace, God chose and adopted.

On top of all that, God did it simply because he was pleased to do it.  God does not choose, predestine, and adopt with a begrudging attitude, but because it brings him great pleasure to do so.  My friend, do you see how God views you?  Do you know how special you really are?  Have you an understanding of the incredible position you have in Jesus Christ, as his follower?

As a child of the king, you live up to the position you know you possess.  Freedom from worry and anxiety don’t come from willpower, but from the understanding that our Father owns all things and we will never be in need.  Deliverance from the power of darkness doesn’t come by trying to do better, but through the knowledge that God has redeemed us and chosen us to live in his gracious realm forever.

The believer has every spiritual blessing in Christ.  God has your back.  You belong to him.  And to belong to Jesus Christ is to be blessed.  It makes all the difference in the world.

Gracious God, your loving activity has snatched me from the barren streets of sin and brought me into a realm of incredible blessing.  Thank you for blessing me and giving me a place to belong forever; through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit reign forever and ever in a celebration of redeeming love.  Amen.

1 Peter 3:8-12

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Hard circumstances tend to bring out the worst in many people.  When difficulty arises in a group it is just human nature that they either try and run like a bunch of rats from a sinking ship, or they turn on each other and chew on one another, again, like a bunch of rats.  It’s what psychologists call the ‘fight or flight syndrome.’  But there is another alternative.  The Apostle Peter said that, when in the throw of suffering, Christians should be like-minded, sympathetic, love each other, embrace compassionate behavior, and humility.  They should not turn to evil in dealing with their frustrations, but ought to do the very opposite:  bless each other.
 
            If we want to be happy no matter what the circumstance, then we will listen to Peter and the psalmist who say:  “Do you want to be happy?  Then stop saying cruel things and quit telling lies.  Give up your evil ways and do right, and find and follow the road that leads to peace.  The Lord watches over everyone who obeys him, and he listens to their prayers.  But he opposes everyone who does evil.”
 
            Well, there you have it.  Now it is a choice of whether we will obey the Scripture, or give in to our sinful nature by devouring others whom we have issues.  Which will you choose?
 

 

            Gracious God, you have chosen me to be your child and inherit all your very great and precious promises.  Help me to live into my position as your son, and be consistent in responding to suffering by blessing others, through the power of the Holy Spirit for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Being a Blessing

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
Words are powerful.  They have the power of life and of death, of blessing and cursing.  And taking the route of not talking is a communication of no blessing and no commitment.  It is essential and vital to speak words of blessing, and to back those words up with an active commitment.
 
 
 
            God spoke to Abraham.  He said he would bless him, and God backed up his words (Genesis 12:1-9; 15:1-21).  The real question for Abraham, which is also the question for us, is not how we will respond to God’s commands, but how will we respond to his promise of blessing, and to be a blessing?  Abraham left the city of Ur because he believed in the promise that God was holding out to him of blessing.  It is the promises of God, not the commands, which change our lives.  It is the promise, not the command, which requires a decision and a change.  The world revolves around promise.  And promise is powered by blessing.
 
            The term “blessing” in Scripture is a powerful communication of God’s presence and approval.  God said that he would show Abraham the Promised Land; in other words, he would be with Abraham.  Abraham was not alone; he was not on his own.  God provided for Abraham a picture of a special future; he would make Abraham into a great nation.  And even more than that, he would bless everyone else through Abraham.  God’s approval was with Abraham – “I will bless you.”  God’s active commitment to Abraham was this:  he would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him. 
 
            This blessing was passed from generation to generation, from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to his twelve sons; a blessing of God’s presence and approval; a blessing of a special future, and an active commitment.  The promise of the blessing found its ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus, who extended the original promise to the nations.  We, as Gentiles, have come to faith because of the blessing.
 
            When we come to the New Testament, the Father blessed the Son (Matthew 3:16-17):  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  God communicated his constant presence and an active commitment through the Spirit; God spoke words of approval and affirmation; God the Father had a special future for Jesus the Son, which helped Jesus to reject the words of Satan.  If Jesus needed a blessing from his Father, how much more do we?  Earthly fathers stand in a very special position as those who have the power of bestowing a blessing on their children – a blessing of being with them, approving of them, affirming their gifts and abilities, picturing for them a special future of how God can use them.  Those words of blessing have the power to help children navigate the tons of decisions that they must make.  With a blessing they can filter-out the choices in front of them, and walk in the way of God.
 
 
 
            Jesus, in turn, blessed his disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).  We typically view these verses through the lenses of command.  But we need to see Christ’s Great Commission through the eyes of promise and blessing:  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.   And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Jesus let his disciples know that his presence would be with them; he communicated an active commitment to give them the authority that he possessed to do the job of disciple-making; he pictured for them a special future of reaching the nations; he affirmed them and approved them.  This Great Commission is really a re-statement of God’s original blessing to Abraham.
 
God is with you.  He has given us his very great and precious promises in Christ.  He has demonstrated his active commitment to us by giving us the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit has gifted each believer for service so that every individual may be a blessing to the Body of Christ, and make disciples of all nations of the world.
 
            You have God’s blessing.  There is no need to try and earn it; you already have it.  Let that blessing help you to reject the organization of wicked spirits who seek to have you for their own.  And you have been blessed so that you can be a blessing in the world.  You have the privilege and ability to reverse the Fall of humanity by turning the world’s curse into a blessing.  If you have been blessed with money, be a blessing by giving it away.  If you have been blessed by growing up in a loving family, give that love to others who are unloved and need that special blessing.  If you have been given wisdom, give it away to those who need wisdom.  If you have been blessed with the mercy of God, be merciful to others.  If you have been blessed with a wonderful relationship with God, make it your ministry to pray people into the kingdom of God.
 

 

            It is never too late to receive blessing, and never too late to bless others.  The church ought to be the one place on planet earth that is full of a culture of blessing.  May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace.