Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Pastor Kyle continues: Know God and have no fear of the unknown. If God has called you “to it”, then He will see you “through it” as a God-centered citizen of Heaven in this earthly experience. Romans 8:29-31 proclaims, “For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified. God's Everlasting Love What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The Christian’s first response to the things of this world should be: “it’s like water on a duck”. In the works of the timeless classic: “O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free! Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
The fallen world will continue to throw trials at us and things will continue to go wrong, but a Christ-following, child of God’s first response looks for faith-filled peace in the uncertainty of the situation and leads to the blessed life. Blessed lives have very little to do with financial prosperity, personal safety or life going well. Our “blessed” status comes 100% from how we live: our trust in God, our obedience, our life of surrender, and our faith as a first response.
The Greek word for “blessed” is “eulogeō”, meaning favored of God, who causes one to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings; enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God; enjoying heavenly felicity. Psalm 84:12 broadcasts to the world, “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
Psalm 32 declares: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”
You have been blessed to be a blessing to others.
In Christ, Brian
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