DRAWING NEAR
January 3
Blessing the God of Blessings
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us" (Eph. 1:3).
When we bless God, it's with words of praise; when He blesses us,
it's with deeds of kindness.
Paul's brief doxology identifies God the Father as the ultimate
recipient and source of blessing--the One to whom blessing is
ascribed and the One who bestows blessings on those who love Him.
"Blessed" translates the Greek word euloge[ma]o, from which we get
eulogy. To bless or eulogize God is to praise Him for His mighty
works and holy character.
That should be the response of your heart just as it has been the
response of believers throughout the ages. The psalmist said "Blessed
be God, who has not turned away my prayer" (Ps. 66:20); and "blessed
be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders" (Ps.
72:18). Peter said, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born
again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead" (1 Pet. 1:3).
When the situation is reversed and God blesses us, it isn't with
praise, for apart from Him there is nothing praiseworthy about us.
Instead, He gives us undeserved benefits through His many deeds of
kindness. Scripture identifies Him as the source of every good thing
(James 1:17), who works all things together for our good and His
glory (Rom. 8:28).
That is but a sampling of the many blessings He lavishes on us in His
Son, Christ Jesus. It's a marvelous cycle: God blesses us with deeds
of kindness; we bless Him with words of praise.
Beware of the sin of thanklessness. Recognize God's blessings in your
life and let them fill your heart and lips with humble, sincere
praise.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Identify ten specific blessings that God has granted to you in
recent days and praise Him for each one.
Ask Him to make you more aware of and thankful for His goodness in
your life.
Always be ready to seek forgiveness when you take His blessings for
granted.
For Further Study:
Read Psalm 103.
What blessings does David mention?
How do they apply to your life?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
James 1:17 (NKJV)
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes
down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or
shadow of turning.
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Psalm 103
103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless
His holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with
lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is
renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are
oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of
Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in
mercy.
9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger
forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us
according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His
mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our
transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who
fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so
he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place
remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On
those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children,
18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His
commandments to do them.
19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom
rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His
word, Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do
His pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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