"Oh, bless me, now, my Saviour", has been the anthem for those who've received Christ as Saviour, from the moment of their salvation experience, until they arrive "up yonder", in Glory, and find themselves before the "great white throne". As a matter of fact, it appears that more people embrace Him as the "Master Blesser", than as the Propitiation, for or the only acceptable Sacrifice for their sins. If a survey or "poll" was discretely taken at the altar, or in the personal "prayer closets" of the typical servant of God, regarding their "cries" and petitions to the Lord, you would,most likely, find that the majority of the requests center somewhere around a "blessing". There is nothing, categorically "wrong" with seeking God for a blessing, because it's not as if someone else can "bless" you like He can, even though "men" are usually the conduits through which He chooses to manifest many blessings. One of the first scriptures we commit to memory is "Ye have not, because ye ask not.", which runs head to head with "I'm blessed in the city, and blessed in the field; blessed, coming in, and going out!" We would be amiss to neglect the new millenium anthem that "I'm too "blessed" to be "stressed", which is of great interest, considering that the "blessed" in the house of God, now make up an alarming portion of the clientele of Psychatrists, "life coaches", and "therapists", and those "binding" hypertension, having strokes, and taking "Prozac", especially within the last 20-30 years. It is at this point that one has to determine exactly what a "blessing" is, because what's in the mind of God, as a "blessing", doesn't always line up with what men perceive and receive as the same!

The Bible admonishes and counsels us that a man's life consisteth not of the abundance of his possessions, and that our affections, and hopes should be set on those things that are eternal,and incorruptible. If we could apprehend the wisdom of God's blessing, we'd never have to engage the enemy in war-fare over "stuff" so often. While we view a "new" anything that pleases our flesh to be a "blessing", and it usually is, God decrees that His chastisement is a blessing, and that our children are a blessing, even though we often treat them like curses, so we need to be careful, very careful of how we handle what God has decreed to be a blessing! A blessing is defined as a "gift" of God's "grace", but this "blessing/gift" won't always answer our emergencies and desperations, because there are certain situations where a "blessing" is just not going to do it, because what we need is a "miracle"! Based on the knowledge of the ministry and purpose of our two life companions, 'goodness" and "mercy", we can conclude that it is out of divine "goodness" that we are blessed, but we need "mercy" to graciously perform a miracle for us. Blessings edify and encourage in one dimension, while miracles provoke faith and an acknowledgement that the Lord, He is 'Good", and He is God! A blessing might offer hope, but a miracle catapults that hope into embracing and receiving the "impossible, and the incredible!' Some may be persuaded that blessing and miracles are the same, and interchangeble, but that's not necessarily the case. All miracles can be considered to be "blessings", but not all blessings are miracles. The fact that you couldn't make your mortgage, and God instructed someone to pay it for you is quite a blessing, but not necessariy a miracle, because it can easily repeated by anyone who has some cash to spare.. A miracle is so profoundly "not of this world" in awesomeness, that even the devil himself, has to "recognize" that the thing was ,undeniably, the Lord's doing, and marvelous in his sight, and that is why it is also known as a "wonder", because it absolutely leaves a lot of people "wondering" "What on earth?", and this is a perfect time to evangelize and let them know. "That's the point, It's not of "this earth",but of the kingdom of the Most High God!

It was a "blessing" for the Shunamite woman to receive a son, but when that same son was down at the undertakers, she didn't need another blessing, she needed a "miracle". When blind Bartimaeus, the disabled beggar, who made his living receiving handouts from others, heard of the nearness of Christ, in spite of the fact that for years he had been begging for a "blessing" of a few pennies from those who passed him by, he never asked Christ for a "blessing", but rather for "mercy", and he received the miracle of his sight! Somehow, inately, he knew that this
Christ was far greater than any regualr "blessing", he could receive, and chose the "right " door and attained the 'prize"! At the wedding at Cana, the blessing was having Christ, the "Unspeakable Gift" in the house, but the miracle was in the "Blessing" taking a few gallons of hydrogen and oxygen, made of invisible and exact molecules in perfect proportions, and turned them into the necessary wine, because that's what that desperate situation called for. Daniel,and his friends couldn't do aything with a "blessing" when they were in the furnace, even if it was a brand new water hose, because a fire of that magnitude, needed a miracle. When Lazarus lay in full rigor mortis, and he had begun to stink with death, he didn't need a "blessing" anymore, because he was well past being able to see, feel, taste, hear, handle, experience, or appreciate even God's choicest blessing, because a blessing was not going to ressurect the man, but a miracle, got him up out of that grave, breathed back into him the breath of life, and gave him another smell! When you have someone sitting on "death row", on the count down to their execution, and the pardon has been denied, you don't need "gooness" rto show up bearing a blessing, you need a miracle! When yo're being carjacked at gun point, in a deserted area of town, and there's not a soul in sight for miles, and you have a drug crazed addcict with a gun to your temple with the safety off , and he's tweaking so bad, that he's bound to shoot either you or himself, a blessing isn't going to be enough, you need "mercy" to show up and bring with it a miracle! How marvelous is the God of our salvation who daily loadeth us with benefits/blessings, but how Excellent is the Name of Him who sent "mercy" in the time of a need for a miracle!

Views: 6

Comment

You need to be a member of Black Preaching Network to add comments!

Join Black Preaching Network

© 2024   Created by Raliegh Jones Jr..   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service