Are you just getting by, or are you blessed?

Published 5:47 am Friday, June 17, 2005

By Staff
Every one of us has a life philosophy that drives us. We must have some drive or we would not bother to get out of bed. For some, it may be to scrape by for another day; for others, it could be the dogged determination to be lifted above the ordinary, to be part of something bigger than themselves.
The life philosophy that makes the most sense is found in the place blessed by God.
Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew, chapter 6, verse 25, "… do not worry about your life…." He went on to say that God knows our need of food, drink, and clothing, and He is capable of meeting our basic needs (Matthew 6:26-32). Our focus must be to seek "the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33).
The base line of our existence is that we survive daily by the mercy and compassion of God. Lest we exalt ourselves, the prophet Jeremiah states in Lamentations, chapter 3, verses 22-23, "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning." God has a fresh supply of mercy and compassion for us every day, and He is faithful to dispense it (Lamentations 3:23).
We could live on this edge of mercy, pushing God, and daily use up every drop of mercy for that day. It is possible to go over this edge of mercy.
Proverbs, chapter 29, verse 1, speaks of one who resists the work of God and is destroyed.
The New Testament epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 15, speaks of, "[one falling] short of the grace of God." We conclude that life must be lived with care.
The philosophy of life that places us in the path of blessing is stated in 2 Chronicles, chapter 16, verse 9, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
We know that God is omnipresent (everywhere all at the same time), omniscient (knowing everything all the time), but there is an extra diligence and vigilance by God to seek out loyal hearts.
A loyal heart is a faithful heart. A faithful heart is a committed heart. If the eyes of the Lord are going to discover us as loyal, we must be committed to the glory of God.
Our mindset is that God will bless good, hardworking people, so we do what we can.
We operate like God is not going to bless us so we live in self-protective safety.
Most of us are content to live without drawing God's attention to ourselves in any way. If we are going to be loyal to God, we must let Him be God.
God is able! He can do anything. He owns everything. He controls everything. He knows everything. He sees everything.
The biggest misconception about God is that He helps those who help themselves. Why would God bother to help someone who is self-sufficient, who operates like He does not exist?
The eyes of the Lord are looking for those who believe God and are willing to obey Him in reckless abandon.
There is a fine line between faith and foolishness, but many times that is the line separating us from the blessing of God.
God has made many promises, but we must extend ourselves in faith. God does not mind being put to the test.
The prophet Malachi speaks for God in Malachi, chapter 3, verse 10, "Try Me now in this."
All God wants to be is God, and we resist that more than we know.