Series: Renewal
Psalm 1:1-2 ESV
I used to think if someone overused the blessing, it must then be rendered null and void.
That’s because without even realizing it, my theology was steeped in scarcity.
I also thought I needed to deserve a blessing before I could receive a blessing.
Once again…incorrect.
While I’m not exactly sure where my ideas about who I thought God was and what God was like, I now know the culture allowed our perception of God to erode.
So…once I realized God was a God of abundance, everything started to change.
While it took time for me to accept the beautiful bounty of the blessing, I found it everywhere.
In Psalm 1:1-2 we read, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
The realization of the fullness of the blessing is found throughout scripture.
When we realize that Psalm 1 is really saying:
Blessed is the man who walks with the blessed.
Blessed is the man who stands with those who have been blessed by God.
Blessed is the man who sits with the champions who are blessed.
Blessed is the man who delights in the bless-ed law of God.
Blessed is the man who mediates on God’s word day and night.
I might add, Blessed is the man who blesses.
I once met man who blesses and offers a blessing to others.
Watching and listening him continuously offer a blessing was a puzzle to me (but that’s because I didn’t fully understand the blessing).
At first I wondered if his blessing was genuine.
I came to realize that it was not my job to determine the motivation of his blessing. That’s because only God can know the motivation of his heart.
I also realized the blessing was the blessing and I needed to be able to receive the blessing. That opened doors to many questions about why I struggled to receive a blessing.
I came to realize I didn’t think I deserved a blessing.
That seems so strange now, because no one deserves a blessing. God didn’t create a blessing because we deserve it. Nor did the blessing come about because we needed it.
The blessing just is.
It isn’t because we deserve it or because we need it.
The blessing is given by God because of His great love for us.
The blessing is given simply because God wants to give us a blessing.
Do you see where I was “stuck”?
I thought I needed to deserve God’s love.
I thought if I was good enough to deserve God’s love I could receive the blessing.
Even though I’d been told what grace is, I didn’t know how to receive God’s grace.
My Spiritual Director reminded me that no one deserves grace or needs to deserve grace. We only need to open our hands and receive it.
So…I wondered how do I open my hands?
As with all of life, the realization of truth leads back to God.
I opened my hands, just like a child who really wants a piece of candy. I asked God to show me the way.
Little be little, the Spirit taught me how to receive what God had for me.
Somewhere along the way I encountered people who bless other people regularly and I decided I want to be free enough to bless others.
I asked God to set me free.
So today…be blessed by God!
Spiritual Practice: GIVE A Blessing!
Choose one or more people to bless. Today, I choose seventeen.
In God, Deborah
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