Blessings.

We all want them.
We pray for them. We desire them. We hope for them.

But how do we receive them? Is it something given us by happenstance, a fluke, a turn of the tables, or how we played our own cards?

Or is it something else? From where do blessings flow?

James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

So I’d say that blessings come from God.

But what are these blessings? Is it a fancy car, a yacht, a mansion, a 401K, investments, wealth, and riches? A closet full of nice clothes; a designer kitchen; a remodeled bathroom with a jacuzzi tub, double vanity, and crystal chandelier?

Don’t get me wrong; none of the above things are inherently sinful, and I’m not suggesting that anyone didn’t work hard or obtained these things unscrupulously. I’m not even inferring that God didn’t allow these things into your life to bless you so that you could bless others.

Because I believe that God does give us blessings in this life, so that we can use those gifts to bless others and point them to Him.

A large, designer kitchen can be used to invite people into your home, cook for them and fill their bellies, pour into their lives, mentor them, and point them to Jesus. An entire ministry can be built around a kitchen, as long as Jesus is the foundation.
A large house with extra bedrooms can be used to offer a safe place for children in foster care or to refugees seeking shelter and safety.
Wealth can be used to donate to worthy causes and support local ministries.

All of these earthly things can and should be used for God’s purposes and for kingdom value. The hard part is to not let these nice things distract us from what really matters. To make sure that these created things don’t become idols that steal our attention and affections.

We aren’t acquiring wealth and nice things on this earth just for the sake of having them. We can’t take any of it with us; all that will matter when all of this disappears is what we did with it in the time we had while we were here.

While we are waiting for the glory of heaven, what are we doing down here?

Kingdom value things are the true blessings that we can acquire while treading this soil, and they are the legacy we can both leave behind and take with us. For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.

So what are we living for?
Are there blessings to be found beyond the physical?
How do we receive these intangible blessings?
And what even are they?

Let’s start with the fact that God does offer to bless us in supernatural ways. He says so in His Word:

Psalm 119:1-3 says, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!”

Psalm 1:1-2 says, “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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

We will be blessed when we walk according to God’s ways (His Word) and when we keep His testimonies.
We will be blessed when we seek
him with all our hearts, set our feet to walk with Him, and keep His statues.
When we know His Word and obey it.
When we keep ourselves away from wickedness and when we speak up for truth.
When we don’t just sit idly by and let evil happen around us while we sit in silence because we can’t be bothered or don’t want to offend.
We will be blessed when we dwell on Him and meditate on His precepts day and night.
We will be blessed when we believe in and trust in Him, when we rely on Him, hope in Him, and place our confidence in Him.
When we seek His face.
When we build our lives on Him and let faith dwell in our hearts.
When we guard our hearts and store up God’s Word in our hearts, so that we might not sin against Him.

That seems like a lot. And it is. Maybe it seems like it’s too difficult. It is. On our own.
This is far too much for any human, in all our frailty, to do alone.

We need Jesus.

The good news is that He doesn’t just tell us to figure it out on our way and hope we make it. There is hope.

Second Peter 1:3 tells us, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Ephesians 3:17-20 says, that Christ will dwell in our hearts through faith. And because of this, we can be rooted and established in His love, able to comprehend and know what He has called us to do. Able to grasp the breadth, length, height, and depth of all that He has for us and wants to reveal to us. Able to walk in obedience to His ways. And He is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think.

We have the power because of Christ in us to follow Him. It’s not anything we can do in our own power, but Christ living within us. And that calls us to humility. To know that we can’t do it without Him. But that He will help us when we call on Him.

It’s a choice we have to make. His divine power gives us everything we need to walk according to His Word, but we have to admit our sin and failings, believe in Who He is and what He did for us, confess that He is Lord, and then choose to follow Him all the days of our lives. We must seek Him. We must choose to lean on Him. We must choose to not be conformed to the world, but choose to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We must choose to speak the truth, stand for the truth, and walk in the truth. We must choose this day whom we will serve.

We always have the choice.

And when we choose to relentlessly chase Him, to choose Him day in and day out, to pick up our cross, and walk with Him even in the hard valleys, we will find those blessings.

And it’s not that God will always choose to bless with a boat, a house, money, or any other thing that we might want.

The blessings are far richer than that.

Psalm 119:4-11 says, “You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!

Psalm 1:3 says, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Jeremiah 17:8 tells us, “He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The blessings are vast when we dive deep into streams of Living Water.

We will be filled with God’s power and knowledge of His ways, and He will not forsake us.
He sticks closer than a brother. He guards. He keeps watch. He doesn’t forget. He remembers all His promises.
He grants wisdom for how to live. We will experience a close relationship with Him. He will dwell with us.
We will be planted like a tree by the water, where we will not wither or fade, and where we will always produce fruit, even in storms, drought, and hard seasons.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We will have hope and love.
We will have steadfastness.
And we will reap a harvest with kingdom value.

The deeper and deeper our roots go, the deeper the roots will want to continue to grow, and that tree won’t fall over in the storm. When drought comes, those deep roots will still find water. Those roots know what anchors them, and they don’t let go. They know the goodness of what holds them firmly in place.

We can set our feet like a deep root system of an unwavering, unyielding, and immovable tree planted by water that never runs dry. Whatever season may come and beat down upon us, the well is full.

But we have to choose it. We have to choose Him.

We have to set our feet to the relentless pursuit of Jesus.

And that is the blessing.

When we choose Him, Jesus is the blessing.

The greatest thing in all our lives can be knowing Him.

He paid it all. He gave His very life, poured out as an offering. We didn’t deserve it. But because of His great love, we do have the opportunity to choose Him.

There’s nothing else that matters more than knowing Him in this life or the next.
He is the source of abundant rivers of life, and if we didn’t just stand on the banks dipping our toes in, but fully immersed ourselves, I don’t think we’d ever leave.

When we know the goodness of Who He is, what He saved us from, and how He loves us, why would we ever walk away? “

“So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”” – John‬ ‭6‬:‭67‬-‭69‬

“The greatest thing in all my life is knowing You. I want to know You more.
The greatest thing in all my life is loving You. I want to love You more.
The greatest thing in all my life is serving You. I want to serve You more.”