Blessed (Wk 04)

#blessed 4

The Choice

God desires to bless our lives abundantly, but it goes beyond the heart of the Father delighting in blessing his children. It is his compassionate heart for the world around us, and his desire to touch and bless them though us.

Today— On the cross Jesus redeemed us from the curse and gave us access to life and blessing. But we still have a choice. There is a life path that leads to life and blessing, and a life path marred by death and cursing. You choose…

(Deuteronomy 30:15) “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 

17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

(Genesis 3:17) And to Adam (God) said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

(Genesis 6:11) Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.

(Genesis 4:26) To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

(Galatians 3:13–14) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

The Beatitudes—Now More Than Ever

(Matthew 5:1–12) Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 

—“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

—“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

(Revelation 21:3-4)  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

—“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

(Philippians 2:3) Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

—“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

(John 4:13) Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

— “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

(Micah 6:8) And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

— “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

(Hebrews 3:12) “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart…” 

— “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

(Galatians 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

—“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

(Luke 6:27) “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

(Romans 12:14) Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

(1 Corinthians 4:12) and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

(1 Peter 3:9) Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.