The Blessing!

But the Lord your God refused to do what Balaam asked. Instead, the Lord changed the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.....Deuteronomy 23:5 (ERV)

I like this Old Testament verse that speaks about the Lord changing a curse into a blessing. And, I should mention here that in the New Testament, Jesus took the curse for us, so that we could receive the same blessing that God gave to Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14). I think this is a good place to give a definition of the word "blessing." Of course, when we think of this word, we all could describe what comes to mind. But, I want to provide us with a great working definition to just kind of "chew on." Can you go there with me? LOL

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary states that a blessing is to cause to prosper or to make happy. And that word prosper of course refers to finances, but that's only part of the word. Prosper also means to succeed, to indicate victory. It can also refer to prospering in your physical body, in your health or to prosper spiritually. The Oxford Dictionaries define the word "blessing" as God's favor and protection. I like that! 

For our working definition of the word "blessing," let's state that it means God's favor and protection, which includes to cause one to go to his/her destiny, to what the person was created for and placed on this earth to accomplish. The fruit of the blessing includes, but is not limited to prospering financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The blessing also allows one to experience success according to God's plan and purpose, as well as experience victory and maintain an overcoming mentality. 

I believe God wants to bless his people; to give us "the blessing." God has plans for each of us. And, I for one want to walk out those plans. I'm not in this to get a pocket-full and run off to some place to retire under a palm tree. I want to walk out God's plan and purpose for which I was created. And, yes this does include being blessed based upon our working definition. And, I'm not saying that there won't be challenges or difficulties, because we live in a fallen world and stuff happens. But through all of that, I want to be of the mindset that God is with me and I'm walking in my calling. And he wants to do this for each one of us, as his dearly beloved children. And, he wants to do this because as it says at the end of our verse from Deuteronomy 23:5, "the LORD your God loves you." This is why he wants to be good to us, this is why he wants to use us and see us blessed, this is why he wants us to walk in our God-given calling, it's because he loves us, and has plans for us. We are it, there isn't a plan B. 

The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered....Genesis 39:2a

Some translations of this verse state that the LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did or that he became a very successful man. I want that, and sometimes I find myself praying it like this, "The LORD is with me, so I prosper, and I have become a very successful woman." And again, this isn't so that I can become a hoarder. No, I want "the blessing" so that I can walk in my God-given calling. I want to go, as the Germans would say, to my "Sitz im Leben," which is "my setting in life." And, for me that is my God-given destiny! 

It is the Lord’s blessing that brings wealth, and no hard work can add to it...Proverbs 10:22

This verse can also mean "A blessing from the Lord will bring you true wealth—wealth without troubles.” Yes, we will have challenges and obstacles in this thing called "life." But according to this verse, a blessing from the Lord brings wealth without a lot of difficulty around the wealth, because we will use it to fulfill his purpose and plan. I for one want to believe for that kind of wealth from the Lord. And since I believe the word of God, that's the kind of wealth that I'm going to pray and believe for. 

I know that we sometimes get concerned about seeing the word "prosperity" when talking about this Christian life. And for some, that conjures up the image of a charlatan preacher who either wants to take the money that you have or who want to tell you to "name it and claim it or blab it and grab it!" Or on the other hand, you might have been raised to think that poverty makes you "holy" and brings glory to God. Neither one of these images are correct. But, I also don't think we're supposed to just decide to ignore the word "prosper" in the Christian life. Jesus talked a lot about money. There are verses in the Bible that are related to God wanting to prosper his people. And in this world that we live in, we certainly need more than just enough for ourselves. We have to get beyond the "God bless us four and no more" mentality to the point of asking, praying and believing for God to give us "the blessing" to help advance his kingdom here on earth.

This beautiful and lush tree reminds me of the blessing of the Lord. He wants to lavish his people, to the point of "the blessing." If he was with Joseph in the Old Testament, and he became prosperous, he became successful in everything he did, why couldn't God do that for us in 2017, and beyond? I'm going to believe for "the blessing." I'm going to believe for God's favor and protection in my life, which includes to cause me to go to my destiny, to what I was created for and placed on this earth to accomplish, all for God's glory. And, I'm going to believe that the fruit of this blessing includes, but is not limited to me prospering financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And, I'm also going to believe that this blessing allows me to experience success according to God's plan and purpose, as well as experience victory and maintain an overcoming mentality. 

How about you? Do you want "the blessing" of the LORD? 

Standing in the Glory!

....and, Lazarus the beggar was standing beside him in the glory.....Luke 16:23b (TPT)

I was reading the story in the book of Luke regarding Lazarus and the rich man. I'm not going to go into all the details, as you can read the story in the Bible for yourself. For those who are familiar with this story, you know that both Lazarus and the rich man eventually die. The part of this story where I'd like to pick up with is at the point when it states (speaking of the rich man), "In hell he looked up from his torment and saw Abraham in a distance, and Lazarus the beggar was standing beside him in the glory."

From reading the first paragraph, you probably think that this blog is going to be about life after death or heaven vs hell, or something along those lines. If those thoughts ran across your mind, you'd be completely wrong.

Like many of you, I've read this story a number of times in the Bible. However, the Bible is the very living Word of God. So no matter how many times we've read something, God can open the eyes of our heart to see something new. And this is what happen to me when I recently read this familiar story. I came to the words "standing beside him in the glory, " and I was stopped right in my tracks. 

For the remainder of this blog, I'd like to state it this way, "Standing in the glory!" Yes, I understand that Lazarus is dead as he is standing beside Abraham in the glory. But, I'd like to suggest to you that right here on earth, we can "Stand in the glory!"

I'd like to provide some definitions for the word "glory" from Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary. Glory means God in self-manifestation, i.e., what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way He reveals Himself in these respects, particularly in the person of Christ, in whom essentially His "glory" has ever shone forth and ever will do. Glory was exhibited in the character and acts of Christ in the days of His flesh; at Cana both His grace and His power were manifested, and these constituted His "glory." Glory is a state of blessedness into which believers are to enter hereafter through being brought into the likeness of Christ. Glory is brightness or splendor, supernatural, emanating from God (as in the shekinah "glory," in the pillar of cloud and in the Holy of Holies).  

The Lord Jesus Christ states this about glory, "I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one (John 17:22 NLT)." So when I see the words, "standing in the glory," I want to say, "Lord Jesus, I receive that glory that you gave me." And, I want to say to God, "Father, please let me stand in the glory." When I stand to share God's Word with women, my prayer is that, I'd stand in the glory. In other words, I want to sense God's Presence, his power, and his anointing to do what he has called me to do, all for his glory. And I'd also like to have times of "standing in the glory" when I'm just One on one with God. I want to sense his nearest, his closeness, and hear his heart beat. I want to "stand in the glory" whenever he desires to show up and show out!

"Standing in the glory" brought the picture to my mind of being inside an airplane with soft, fluffy clouds all around. Seat yourself inside the plane of his Presence right now, and ask the Father to let you, "stand in the glory!" 

Flatten OUT!

Then he said, “This is God’s message to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.’ Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God’s mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone.” —Zechariah 4:6-7 (TLB)

We have made it into March of the year 2017, and I’m wondering if you still have the same “game face” that you had all the way back on January 1, 2017?  For me, I can say with all the candor and honesty that I can muster up, it has been a wonderful start to 2017. These first few months, I have seen our great God do some amazing things that have just left me in awe and overwhelming joy.

And even with this wonderful start to the year, there have been some challenges. But, it’s a different time that we live in. This is not the season or time to live in drama and stress that so many seem to live in these days. Of course there have been stressful moments, but God is bringing me back to “true reality” must faster, to know that He is in control. With that backdrop, I believe our Father wants us to know that we will succeed. God seems to be saying, “You will succeed because of My Spirit!”

I think as we continue to move forward in 2017, God wants us to know that we’re not going to succeed by our own strength or ability, or anyone else’s strength or ability. But in this new season, as we trust Him, we’re going to be successful because of His Spirit leading, guiding, and directing us. Therefore, no mountain, however high can stand before you! For it will be flatten out before you!

Since there is no mountain, however high that can stand before us, we can say to those mountains in our lives, “You will be flatten out!”  Let’s just tick off a few mountains (and you can add your own to this list):

• Heart related sickness and disease — You will be flatten out!
• Cancer — You will be flatten out!
• Diabetes — You will be flatten out!
• Nerve damage — You will be flatten out!
• Mental health issues — You will be flatten out!
• Behavior issues with children (including adult children) — You will be flatten out!
• Debt, lack, and not enough to do what God is calling you to do — You will be flatten out!
• Being held back from walking in your purpose and calling — You will be flatten out!

Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before you! For it will flatten out before you!

And you will declare, “ALL OF THIS WAS DONE BY GRACE ALONE!”

Favor Wrapped

Did you know.......God's favor wraps around you?

Lord, how wonderfully you bless the righteous. Your favor wraps around each one and covers them under your canopy of kindness and joy.....Psalm 5:12 (TPT)

We're righteous because of Jesus, God's Son. And to be righteous is simply God's way of being and doing right. We've been made righteous because of Jesus.

In the Psalm above, the writer says: Lord, how wonderfully you bless the righteous.
Remember today, as you go forward in daily activities that from this one verse, you are:

• Wonderfully blessed by the Lord.
• Wrapped up with the favor of God (all the blessings of the Lord are heaped on you, God's blessings and the precious things of the earth and the fullness there of made available because He loves you and delights in you).
• Covered under God's canopy of kindness and joy.

Go forward today you Wonderfully, Wrapped, and Covered child of the Most High God!