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Tuesday Morning Epistles
Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—A great read on any day of
the week for Christians everywhere.
My late friend, Sam Stearman, made it a habit to greet
nearly everyone he met with these words, "God bless
you." Only he made it memorable, whether it was your
first contact with him or your hundredth contact with
him. He had a way of stretching out the name of his
heavenly Father in such a way that you thought he said,
"Gawd bless you." (No irreverence intended). He made you
feel like you were the only one to receive his blessing
that day. He founded "Sam's Tours" and led seniors to
the far corners of the United States, and beyond. His
wife, BK, accompanied him wherever he went, and she must
have heard him greet people in his unusual way many
thousands of times. Sam went to Heaven last year, and
his friends have often wondered how he has impacted the
saints there. We not only miss his blessing; we miss
Sam!
Everyone enjoys being blessed—both directly and
indirectly. And when we can trace our blessings back to
the Lord, we are doubly blessed. This week's "Tuesday
Morning" is entitled "True Blessings." It is attached
below. When I finished writing it, I thought, "This one
is in memory of Sam." Read on whenever you are ready,
and then receive God's blessing today. Read it every day
this week, and by weeks-end you will know what true
blessings are all about. Bless you!
Tom Barnard
A Senior Encourager
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True Blessings Tom Barnard
“God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. These people succeed in everything they do.” (Psalm 1:1-3 CEV)
The word “blessed” is translated differently in various versions of the Bible, but they all mean something very good is about to happen. The New Living Translation begins by saying, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.” What does the Bible mean when the word blessed appears? It means happy, favorably-treated people. And it is used to describe special people—people who are special in the eyes of the Lord.
Are these “blessings” huge, as in winning the lottery? Not necessarily. In fact, blessings may refer to something very small. Size is not a consideration. However, in the context of Psalm 1, because these blessings are from God, they are very special. Blessings are seldom used to define wealth or financial gain. They are not promises of enormous, unearned windfalls. Instead, they are a byproduct of knowing God and following his precepts.
How do I become a recipient of God’s blessings? The psalmist tells us how to qualify.
Associate with godly people. You have a choice here. It is not an easy choice. Walking uphill is usually more challenging than walking downhill. Ascending requires different muscles than descending. Choose the direction you want to go, and find godly people to join you in your journey. You will be blessed!
Read God’s Word regularly. The psalmist gives clear directions. He said, “… the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night.” Our thinking is shaped in part by what we allow our eyes to see and on what we meditate. If we read trash, our minds will focus on trash. If we read things that encourage us and challenge us to live a by a higher standard, we will focus on that. In his final letter to Timothy, Paul said, “The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT). The Word of God leads to changed lives. You will be blessed!
Grow in Grace—it is both natural and continuous. Tell a child of 10 or 11 to stop growing, and he will have a smart reply for you. As long as children are living, they are growing. A child’s growth may not always be measurable, but it is ongoing. That should be the path of Christians—always growing; always developing; and always maturing. To illustrate how growth occurs, the psalmist said, “They are like trees growing beside a stream.” Have you ever noticed that trees grow well along river banks? Trees like water. Most trees don’t like the desert. The Christian life is like that. It doesn’t seem to matter who plants the seeds of the Gospel in the human heart. Preacher or layman; in a cathedral or a tent—if the conditions are right, spiritual growth will happen. You will be blessed!
Gratefully accept god’s blessings. God’s blessings are not universal, pronounced on everyone who says, “I am a Christian.” There is a dividing line, a defining moment. Not everyone is equally blessed. God’s blessings are promised to those who “think about (God’s promises) day and night.” You will be blessed!
God hath not promised skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God hath promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, Grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love. (Annie Johnson Flint—1866-1932) |