“Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”  Luke 14:15

Now that there are names for all of the generations, I have had trouble figuring out which one I was in, until the author of the book, ‘The Luckiest Generation,’ explained it to me over lunch.

I missed being a ‘Baby Boomer‘ by two years and was born nineteen years after the last of the ‘Greatest Generation.’ Time marches on and now we have ‘Generation X,’ ‘Generation Y,’ and who knows what else. But just where do I fit in?

Tom Brokaw coined the term with his book ‘The Greatest Generation.’  These were the people who lived through the Great Depression and fought in the biggest war in history. The ‘Baby Boomers‘ were the ones who got their start in life after the troops came home from WW II. But what about those of us in between, like me and like Elvis and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Tom Brokaw himself?

Now I have the answer. In his new book, my friend writes about those of us born between 1929 and 1945 and coins it ‘The Luckiest Generation‘ .  Those born in this time were too young to fight in WW II and too young to really experience the hardships of The Great Depression, even if they lived through it.

It was the first generation with a smaller birth rate than the one before it, and so there were more jobs for fewer people and it was easier to get to the top. These people were just hitting their stride when the big war was over and the economy boomed with consumer productivity. These people experienced all of the new advancements in everything from communication to transportation. These people were positioned to escape the worst of times and to take advantage of the best of time… hence the term “luckiest.”

But The answer is nothing, unless one is referring to a Baptist ‘pot luck‘ dinner. Luck is defined in the dictionary as ‘a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person’s control’ and goes on to point out that luck can be good or bad.

For those of us who believe in and have submitted to the sovereignty of God, nothing in this world is a chance happening. No matter what generation we are born into, as Christians we are neither lucky or unlucky; we are just blessed.  As Jesus said, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

By John Grant
 (a thought on life from John Grant)
used by permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney. He is an active writer and frequent speaker.  He can be reached by e-mail at John.Grant@johngrant.net

FURTHER READING

How to start a relationship with God

Stepping Into a Personal Revival

Life’s Lessons can Come from Unexpected Places…

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The post Lucky or Blessed? can be found at Thoughts about God.

“According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.” 1 Timothy 1:11 (NKJV)

God, who is the author and giver of every blessing, is called the blessed God. Blessedness is a state of happiness. When we read that God is the blessed God, it means that He is a happy God and He wants to bring His happiness to us.

Why is God called the “happy God”? He is happy because He is holy. The joys we draw from the wells of salvation come to us from a pure fountain. If the Scriptures said, “God is unholy” then He would be without happiness, for there is no happiness to be found in darkness, in evil, or in sin.

Some people have painted a false image of holiness. They portray holiness as something associated with gloom, legalism, and grimness. They think of the fruits of holiness as unhappiness, meanness, and a sour disposition. However, it is important for us to remember that heaven, the holiest place of all, is also the happiest place of all.

It is also possible to have a wrong image of happiness. Happiness is not defined by someone who has a great sense of humor, is fun-loving, or has a bubbly personality. Happiness is a state of someone’s heart and sense of wellbeing, not a characteristic of someone’s temperament or a certain personality trait.

Who are the happiest people on earth? The Scriptures tell us, “Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” Matthew 5:8 AMP. (Note that this happiness of heart is true even in the midst of hardships and difficulties.)

True happiness comes to us as a fruit of our relationship with God through Christ. The blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin, not only removes our guilt and condemnation, but opens the doorway for our happiness (blessedness) by bringing us into a right relationship with God and allowing us to be partakers of His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).

I love the words spoken long ago by a new believer in Christ while giving his testimony of salvation during a church service, “Sometin’ in me got released for good. I swallowed sunshine! He has given me a mighty faith that has made me feel clean inside.”

How good it is to belong to a happy (blessed) God who brings happiness (blessedness) to His children.

by Roy Lessin
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Delight in God
• Blessed is the Nation Whose God is The Lord
• Be Blessed, Beloved Child

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The post Blessedness can be found at Thoughts about God.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thess. 5:23-24).

God desires you to be blessed and complete in your spirit, soul, and body. Your human spirit is the innermost part where the Holy Spirit resides.

Spirit, be strengthened through the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 3:16). You connect with Him at a deep level. Be blessed with deep calling to deep. If there are areas where you feel crushed or broken, receive the compassion and healing of Jesus who is near to those who are crushed in spirit (Ps. 34:18). May you, spirit, be blessed to receive everything you need to be whole and blameless.

Soul and body, you are valuable and needed. You bring outward expressions of what the spirit feels through words, emotions, and actions. You communicate through smiles, warm embraces, and hands raised in worship. Soul and body, take your place in the dance, allowing your human spirit to lead. Be blessed to partner with the human spirit led by the Holy Spirit.

In areas where you, soul and body, have experienced pain or loss, allow the Holy Spirit working with your spirit to bring transformation and healing. Receive new grace to run the race of life free of weights and entanglements. Your Father is faithful to sanctify every part of you and make you whole. He will do it. May you receive from Father, Son, and Holy Spirit everything you need each moment. Be blessed as you bring all of who you are into full agreement with all of who He is.

Be blessed as the God of peace works to make you complete and whole—spirit, soul, and body.

by Sylvia Gunter
used by permission

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His Presence Draws You – by Gail Rodgers

Waddle or Fly by Elizabeth Gunter

The Spirit Filled Christian Life Explained

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The post Blessing Of Spirit, Soul, And Body can be found at Thoughts about God.

“While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!’” Luke 11:27-28

The woman in the crowd had such admiration and love for Jesus. She couldn’t imagine a greater blessing than being the woman who carried and raised the Son of God. Jesus shifts the perspective, however. He says Mary is blessed not because she carried and birthed him, but because Mary heard God’s word and obeyed it.

In the same way, we are blessed, not because we fulfill the great calling, but rather when we obey the voice of God. God looks at our heart and sees the willing servant. Is this where I am positioned today? Am I listening for God’s specific word for me and responding as Mary did?

“I am the Lord’s servant, May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38, NIV)

The blessing comes as we walk closely with Him, moving on His shouts and His whispers, willing to follow and trust the Divine.

Thank You, Father, that You value my willing heart and my obedience. Speak to me today, Lord. Your servant is listening. Amen.

by Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

•  The Walk of Obedience – by Mary Pinckney

•  The Thrill of Obedience – by Charles Stanley

•  God Requires Risky Obedience – by Jon Walker

The post Blessed Obedience can be found at Thoughts about God.

God blessed my husband and me with four boys.   I confess there were days, when I questioned whether it was a blessing or not. Boys are loud, physical, and boisterous.  They love to climb on furniture, use sticks for weapons and beat up their brothers.

But, I have to say, I love them!   Because what you see is what you get.  They tell it like it is.  They get mad and then they’re over it.  They will pick on their baby brother and then if anyone else tries to pick on them they will defend them “to the death”.

Boys know how to play.  They design huge elaborate games and they’re never bored if they have another one around.  And they have given me a storehouse full of great stories and memories!

My boys taught me so many things – how to not take myself so seriously, how to live every moment to the fullest and to love life.

God also used them in my life to teach me things about Him.

I remember one day hearing screaming coming from our back hallway (never a good sound).  I knew it was my youngest, Logan, he was about 18 months old.  I ran to where the sound was coming from and saw him with a beat red face crying and yelling for all his might.  My oldest, Wes, who was around 10 at the time, was blocking Logan from going down our back stairway.  He looked up at me, with this pleading look on his face and said, “Mom, he wants to go down the steps and I can’t let him because he’ll fall and get hurt!”
And in that moment, God gave me a snapshot of how I am with Him . . .

I make my plans.

I make my plans, sometimes offering the token prayer but really never considering Him or seeking where He wants me to go and then I pursue those plans with all my heart.  And when I’m thwarted I throw a temper tantrum because I don’t get my way, never realizing that it is the Hand of God protecting me from harm.

Jeremiah 29:11 says,

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Do I believe that?

Why do I question that God doesn’t have my best interest at heart when he laid down His life for me?

What about you?  Do you ever get angry or frustrated because God isn’t giving you what you want?

Are you mad because He isn’t giving you what you think you need?

But what we WANT isn’t always what we NEED!

In some distorted way, many of us feel that God owes us.  That if we’re living our lives to please Him, He should give us what we want and when we don’t get it, we get mad and throw a fit.  And sometimes, we even walk away!  But what we want isn’t always what we need.  And God is not in the business of making us comfortable.  He is about molding and shaping us to be more like Him.

God is not in the business of making us comfortable!

Teach us to . . . Trust you, LORD with all our heart;
      to not depend on our own understanding.
 But seek your will in all we do,
      and you will show us which path to take.  Proverbs 3:5-6

By Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission

If you don’t see our comment form you can find it here: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/bethany-hayes_expectations/

Further Reading

•   A Mother’s Promise to God

•   Did I Hear You Correctly Lord? – My dreams were too small for God

•  Salvation Explained

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The post When I Don’t Get What I Want… can be found at Thoughts about God.

God rejoices as your Abba.

You are His child on the authority of His Word. He ordained you and brought you forth.

Hear God’s Word for you in Psalm 22:9. The psalmist said,

“You brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.”

And in Psalm 71:6. “From birth I have relied on you…I will ever praise you.”

Receive God’s work as He cleanses deep wounds that you received from words and actions in your family of origin. Receive the ministry of Jehovah-Rapha, the healing covenant name of eternal God, as He works in the core of your being. Receive His healing, blessing, and deep release. The Spirit of your Father lives in you to heal and make you whole.

The Spirit of truth and the God of all mercy is ready to bring new life. Receive His cleansing from all hurtful memories, feelings, and emotions. Jesus died to set you free. Release all pain to Him. God promised in His word that He would wash you and make you whiter than snow (Isaiah 1:18).

Be blessed as God fills up the hole in your heart, those empty spaces, that bottomless pit that craves nearness, affirmation, connection, and significance, and yet fears it, is unable to receive it, and runs away from it. Be at peace, and receive healing from wounds caused by lack of bonding. Receive cleansing from attachment wounds, as Father-God binds you to Himself with cords that cannot be broken.

God fed His Son with His words of approval that nourished Him emotionally.

“A voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased‘” (Mark 1:11).

These words strengthened Jesus in His inner being. If the Son of God needed these words of affirmation from His Father, how much more do you!

You longed to hear words like that from your earthly father. Receive your heavenly Father’s words, “I love you. I am pleased with you.” Let your heavenly Father, father you.

Be blessed to rest secure and safe in His love.

By Sylvia Gunter
Used by Permission

If you don’t see our comment form you can find it here: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/sylvia-gunter_blessing/

Further Reading

•   He Lets me Rest

•   God, our Shield

•  Salvation Explained

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The post Blessing Of Your Heavenly Father can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits–who crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things”.
Psalm 100:1-4

Little things, though simple in their demonstration, can be great in their significance in our lives.

A harvest of joy can be received from the sowing of little things that spontaneously flow from a giving heart, and come to us freely from a gracious God.

“Welcome and make ours whatever good, though small, the present brings—kind greetings, sunshine, song of birds, and flowers—with a child’s pure delight in little things. –R.C. Trench

Into our lives, in many simple, familiar, homely ways, God infuses this element of joy from the surprises of life, which unexpectedly brighten our days, and fill our eyes with light. He drops this added sweetness into His children’s cup, and makes it to run over.
–S. Longfellow

by Roy Lessin
Used by Permission

If you don’t see our comment form you can find it here: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/roy-lessin_little-things/

Further Reading

•   Family Stories and Articles

•   Angels and Miracles

•  Salvation Explained

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The post Blessed in the Little Things can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

Jesus says, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3 NLT) He means we must come to the end of ourselves. We have to leave behind any self-sufficiency or self-righteousness and come to the place where we realize our only hope is in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

We must be desperate for God: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and His rule.” (Matthew 5:3 MSG) Bonhoeffer notes the original disciples did not have religious wealth, in the sense that they did not have Pharisaical prestige or position.

And, as they followed Jesus, they were inexperienced in this new way. All they could do was follow Jesus for each next step; they couldn’t rely on well-worn traditions that are so easily leaned upon in place of a relationship with Jesus.

They had nowhere else to turn but to Jesus—and it should be that way for us, as well. If you deeply believed there was nowhere else to turn but Jesus, how would your life change?

By Jon Walker
Used by Permission

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The post Blessed are We When We’re Insufficient can be found at Thoughts about God.