Vices & Virtues & Life In The Mix
Devotions for Pens of Praise
October 13th 2012
By Susan Marlene Kinney
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Matthew 5:3
Any form of the word ‘blessings’ may be thought of as vague,
wispy, and unidentifiable. But if you stop and consider the intimacy this word implies,
you’ll find abundant depth of meaning. These blessings come from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His fingers
fragrant with myrrh and oil strengthen us spiritually and emotionally with
every kind of provision. He embraces our
hearts with acceptance and love.
Webster’s
Encyclopedic Dictionary says this about
the word blessed: Supremely blessed,
fortunate, well off: --blessed happy (x ier)
Breaking
down each VIP word enlightened me and cheered my heart:
Supreme – 1. highest in rank or authority;
paramount; chief 2. Of the highest
quality, degree, character, importance etc.
Blessed- 1. Consecrated: sacred; holy;
sanctified 3. Divinely or supremely
favored; fortunate to be blessed 4.blissfully
happy or contented
Fortunate- 1. Having good fortune; receiving good
from uncertain or unexpected sources’ favorably 2. Auspicious…made prosperous or happy…etc.
How thrilling to realize that when we suffer despair, becoming
acutely aware of our colossal need for the Father, we will be blessed. Not with
superficial and short-lived niceties either. He begins tipping the pitcher, which
overflows with pure unadulterated blessings too numerous to measure.
In Psalms 81:10 the Lord says, Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. Our Father God knows just
the right words to say! The kinds of words that melt my heart and cause me to
hope. He does not just speak and then duck
out of town. He stays with us through thick and thin. He is faithful. Even when
we focus on pain and the what-ifs life tosses our way and we do not see Him.
Aren’t our greatest obstacles our own mindsets and
misunderstandings when we seek the Lord? Truly, aren’t fears, distractions, and
intrusions allowed to interfere because of our own wandering hearts? When we chose selfishness instead of
generosity, or fear over courage or judgment rather than acceptance, we are
setting ourselves up for yet another rocky ride…sometimes in a slick looking vehicle
fashioned by pride.
He looks at us with the eyes of love and sees you and me as
important, set apart. His thoughts toward us are like the sands of the sea,
innumerable, yet holy, and sacred. Our Father, so generous, forgiving, and
loving favors us with His eye upon us. We receive good from his certain though unexpected
sources so our spirit will prosper. We
can experience His fullness of joy in the light of eternity. We will be walking
on streets of gold. For sure, our attention will be blessed with far greater
measure, the blissful awareness of Our Father’s Love.
Forever!
that is one of my favorite scriptures. it comforts
ReplyDeleteand encourages me at the same time.
Greetings myletterstoemily! Amazing how blessed we are to live in a time when we can grab His word anytime and draw comfort from His presence with at least some understanding! How great our God is!! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. We are all indeed blessed whether we feel like it all the time or not.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having a blessed weekend!
Hi Chris! I've just sent you an e-mail! Book signing in Green Bay!! Thank you for your complement. God is so rich in affirmation over us isn't HE! We just have to read His word and wow!! We enjoyed Pens yesterday and had another real good meeting! All is well. Porschea's fence is almost done. The small door needs finished and then she can run free!! (In the back yard that is!)
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