Chased By God’s Blessings
Sunday, November 14, 2010 – AM
By Pastor James May
Our God has many characteristics. He is so great, in so many ways, that he is truly greater than our ability to fully discover just how great he really is. Only when we receive that glorified body, with its glorified mind, and we are fully like him, will we finally discover the fullness of God. Only then will we know him as he is. Down here all we can see is shadows and partial images of God’s greatness. We are trying to discover the attributes of an awesome eternal God but our vision is limited because we are trying to see him through eyes that are looking through a dark glass. We can only catch a glimpse, a shimmer of light, or a ray of knowledge here and there. Yet even our limited understanding, our limited vision and finite minds can see that God is truly awesome. I cannot wait until that day when we can finally see Jesus in the fullness of his glory.
We can barely tolerate his presence in this mortal body when he comes into our midst. The presence of God and the little portion of his glory that comes upon us will make us shout, dance, even be slain in the Spirit because this mortal body of flesh can’t handle the true glory of God. That’s why we are told that no man can look upon God fully in this mortal body and live. God is all spirit, glory and power; and mortal bodies of flesh, tainted by sin; simply cannot exist in his presence.
Only two people have ever been taken to heaven in their mortal body. God, in his infinite power, has managed to keep them alive and living in Heaven for thousands of years. I don’t know how he does it, but I know he has. Elijah, taken in a chariot of fire; and Enoch, who just took one step and was in Heaven, are both there today; still in their mortal bodies from what I have studied. Even so, I believe that these are God’s two witnesses who will return in the last days to preach the gospel in the time of the Tribulation.
One of the things about God that I am so thankful for is his great love that is extended to those who will serve him and love him in return. The Bible tells us that God is Love; He is all Love; He is pure love; and since God is Love he is always finding ways to show his love to his people. God’s will is that all men should love him and serve him; and in so doing, they can become the recipients of all of the blessings that God desires to pour out upon his children.
I wonder this morning if you know just how blessed you really are? I wonder if we are not leaving some of those blessings laying unclaimed by the side of the pathway of life simply because we might walk out of that path of righteousness from time to time.
God has given us some truly great promises in his word. One of the greatest passages on God’s blessings is found in his dealings with Israel. Israel was God’s chosen nation; a special people, chosen from all of the nations of the earth, to present to all mankind the knowledge of the One True God. Let’s look at the promises that God gave to Israel, and keep in mind that God never changes and God never fails to bring his word to pass. What ever God promises to one nation, he will do for all who will serve him. Whatever God has done for any one man in the Bible, he will do for all men, if they will serve and obey him as that one did who was so blessed.
In this passage of scripture that I’m going to take you too, there is a sense that mankind is running just as fast as he can through life, living every day as the clock ticks away the seconds of his lifetime. One day goes in weeks, into months and years and finally that life is over. As the word says, our life is but a vapor of smoke, a puff of air in the eternal realms. We are truly in a “rat race”, rushing headlong into eternity, trying to get all that we can out of life, and yet we know that there is always so much more that could have been done.
One thing that we have always heard is that when we come to the end of our days, we don’t want to have written in our epitaph, “If Only I Could Have Had More Time to Do all that I wanted to do”. And yet, there has never been one person to leave this world having accomplished everything that they ever dreamed of doing. There’s always a lot that is left on the table.
God’s blessings are like that. No matter what we receive from the Lord there is always the knowledge that God has more in store than we have received. No matter how much we accomplish for him, and for his kingdom, we are always left with a hunger to do more, to know him more, and to be more like him. God’s blessings are truly limitless and it is up to each of us, individually, to either receive them or lose them, depending upon our own willingness to be all that God wants us to be, or to do our own will rather than his will.
Look at what God promises for Israel and let’s see just how great God is, and what he wants to do for those who serve him.
Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
What a great promise this is from the Lord! As we are running through life, trying to get all we can out of life, the blessings of the Lord are always coming our way. It’s not that we earned them, but because of God’s great love he sends them to us just because he wants to.
I want us to know that receiving the blessings of God are always conditional. First, we have to listen carefully and follow God’s commandments fully. We must live in the manner that God prescribes, obey his Word and live for Jesus with all our heart. God didn’t say that we could just live the way we wanted and then expect his blessings to come upon us.
I know that the Bible tells us that God sends the rain upon both the saint and the sinner alike, but I’m convinced that the amount of rain that each receives is dependent upon whether he is prepared to receive it or not. God is no respecter of persons. He loves all men the same, but not all receive his love; and not all who do receive his love into their hearts do so in an equal manner. That’s why we must listen closely and diligent about hearing the voice of the Lord. If you want God’s best, then you have to give him your best. If you want to live a life of a mediocre Christian you can do that too, but beware lest you are counted as being lukewarm.
God’s promises have been true for every nation, not just for Israel; and God’s promises have held true for every man or woman who will serve him with all their heart.
Israel was truly blessed as long as the Jews were obedient, but when they fell into idolatry, the blessings were turned to curses upon their nation. I can see that same pattern in America today as well. Our own nation has been so blessed by God because we were founded upon great principles of faith and worship of God. But those blessings in our nation are turning into curses because we have begun to forsake God.
Can I tell you that this same pattern exists in each of us individually as well? As long as we listen and obey the Lord, his blessings overtake us and come upon us, but when a Christian begins to backslide, those blessings stop coming and suddenly many things begin to go wrong. Instead of seeing what is really happening and turning back to God, we often blame God for our troubles and go further from him, and the further we go, the greater the curses will come.
Deuteronomy 28:3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
Under God’s blessings cities are a place of protection and a place where many men can dwell together in peace and prosperity. But when the people of that city turn away from God, then our city streets become a battle ground, and fear stalks the city as people turn against one another.
If you want to look at it another way, our homes come under this same category of God’s blessings. As long as a family prays together and serves the Lord together, peace will reign in that home, but when sin enters the home, then the relationships in the family begin to fall apart from the curse of disobedience.
Just look at all of the blessings that God wants to pour out upon his people! It is God’s great pleasure to give all of these things to his people; but his people must be obedient first. God does not reward disobedience; he judges it!
Deuteronomy 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Deuteronomy 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
God wants to bless every part of your life. He especially wants to bless your children and desires for them to prosper in him. I think that one of the greatest sins that exists in our nation today is the sin of abortion. We are killing our own children. Because of the sin in the hearts of our people, even children have become a curse to our nation.
America has been blessed so much that we are known as the “Breadbasket of the World”. Our farmers produce much more food than we can eat. Our storehouses are full and there are still crops in the fields.
Deuteronomy 28:6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
Deuteronomy 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
Who can doubt that we are not a blessed people because of this promise of God? From the foundation of our nation America was blessed as God fought for us at every turn. But now we have begun to see that even our great weaponry and military might can’t guarantee safety in our own land.
There was a time when no nation on earth would have considered invading our land, and now our own freedom has turned into a curse for our land because the enemy has come in like a flood and now we never know when or where another terrorist group may arise.
Can you see how God’s blessings can be turned into a curse!
But that is not what God wants for his people. God desires that his blessings should remain as blessings. God is just looking for a people who will give themselves to him without reservation. I get the picture in my spirit that the blessings of God are following right on our heels, getting ready to overtake us and overwhelm us through the Love of God that he wants to extend to us. But I also see that we are running just as hard as we can in the wrong directions sometimes and that keeps us from getting what God has in store. We have to learn to hear the voice of the Lord, slow down a little and enjoy the blessings of God. Don’t let the cares of this life and the curse of sin keep you from being blessed.
Look at what God promises to an obedience servant:
Deuteronomy 28:9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
Deuteronomy 28:10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
Deuteronomy 28:11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
Deuteronomy 28:12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
Deuteronomy 28:13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
Deuteronomy 28:14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
What a list of blessings! Just think of what God wants to do for you! How much are you receiving of all of these? Are you falling short of receiving any of these blessings?
God has foreordained that his people should be a very blessed people. It’s getting close to Thanksgiving Day here in America, and we, as the people of God, have more to be thankful for than anyone else on earth. God has truly opened the windows of Heaven and poured out his blessings upon us; and yet we are still lacking in so many ways.
How much do we miss because we don’t hear his voice? How many blessings are falling by the wayside and we are unable to receive them because we don’t know the Word of God, or we don’t spend time in prayer and praise unto our Lord. All of these blessings of God are attached by our prayer and praise. Prayer and praise, and the worship of God in spirit and in truth are the keys that unlock all of the blessings of God in your life! Are you missing any?
In the realm of the spirit there is a tremendous cloud that overshadows every one of us. It can be a cloud filled with the rain that falls from Heaven and pours blessings on our lives in every way imaginable; or it can be a storm cloud that brings curses upon our lives. Whatever comes is based solely on our own obedience as true children of God. Do you want the blessings or the curses?
Some of us here are being blessed by God with the sprinkles of his blessings much like the beginning raindrops of the rain shower as it approaches. The rain is chasing us down the highway with the clouds coming at us. Maybe we are going just fast enough to stay at the edge and get a drop every once in a while but we never get the full impact of the rain. That’s the way that we are living our lives. We are running ahead, running from the voice of the Lord at full strength, trying to make our own way and do our own thing. God speaks, but we don’t hear. Maybe he says, “Slow down and let the rain fall, bringing you all that I have to offer”. But we run even faster because we don’t want to hear that voice speak because we don’t want to live life God’s way.
The blessings of God are trying to overtake us, but we are running so fast from God that we only get a sprinkle now and then.
For some us, we might slow down, hear the voice of the Lord and the showers of God’s blessings truly begin to overtake us. It’s like the windows of Heaven are opened and the blessings come out. In the old days the preacher used to say, “We are under the spout where the blessings come out!” That’s a wonderful place to be, so its hard to imagine that anyone would want to leave that place of absolute obedience and blessing, but we do.
I’ve seen Christians who were fully blessed. God was sending everything their way. But for some reason, that Christian will decide that he can now make it on his own and so he takes off on a tangent, chasing some illusive dream; searching for something that he desires out of life that may not be where the Lord wants him to be. He’s running out from under the cloud of God’s blessings, back into the place where there is dryness of spirit once more. He runs with the remnant of God’s blessings in his soul until he suddenly realizes that he has left the place of God’s provision and now his soul is thirsty and dry once again. God’s blessings are trying to overtake him, but he’s running in the wrong direction. It’s time to turn around and get back under that spout again.
There is no doubt that God wants to bless his people. Looking at the list and the promises that God makes to his people in Deuteronomy is proof enough of God’s full intention to show his great love and provision for his people.
But it’s all conditional! If we don’t bring ourselves under subjection, humble ourselves before God and listen to the voice of the Spirit then those blessings will be turned into a curse and that very thing that was meant to bless us will now be a curse to us.
The place of provision and safety will now become an empty house and a place of fear and doubt. The children that were to be a blessing as they grow older will now become a curse as they turn against God and the things of God. The storehouses of goods that we have laid up for ourselves, hoping that we could rest in our later years, will suddenly be taken away, destroyed by the curse of disobedience and God’s judgment.
Where are you right now? Are you hearing the voice of the Lord; obeying that voice and allowing the blessings of the Lord to overtake you and come over you; or are you running too fast in the wrong direction? Are you receiving the blessings of God in your life; or do you feel like nothing but curses are falling all around you as all of life falls apart?
If we want God’s best; then we have to give him our best! Is that you? Are you giving God your best – in fact, are you giving God your all? When we give God our all, then his blessings will overtake us and come upon us. Living in the blessings of God is the most wonderful place to live that we can have in this life, so make sure you’re there!
