“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your (God’s) ways may be known on earth, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him“. Psalm 67:1-2 & 7

How many Bible studies have I participated in where I have been challenged, or have challenged others, to glean the ‘big idea’ for the verses under consideration? In the well-meant pursuit to discover the primary meaning, or perhaps to dig beneath the surface, it is easy to gloss over simple, small words intended to have tremendous impact.

In the psalm quoted above, the writer clearly calls to God for blessing. How often the Jews were in danger from their enemies or living in the sorrow of captivity. They were pleading for relief, even for victory in the midst of unbelievable odds. But somehow, perhaps looking back to the Abrahamic Covenant which stated that all peoples on earth will be blessed through you, or forward to the words of Christ, go into all the world, the writer sees that God’s gracious blessing has a purpose far beyond personal application.

When God pours his blessing into our lives, the purpose spills over to the world around us: so that God’s ways may be known on earth. Any other plea for blessing is far too small.

Father, thank you for the blessings you regularly pour into my life; help me creatively see each one expanding into the lives of those around me.

by Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Words for Misfits
• Unfolding Your Words
• Stand Up – The Power of Words

The post Small Words, Large Meaning appeared first on 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

RELATED READING

My All is Enough – by Rand Kreycik

His Presence Draws You – by Gail Rodgers

Waddle or Fly by Elizabeth Gunter

The Spirit Filled Christian Life Explained

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Be blessed to know your identity as your Father’s beloved son or daughter. “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

Be blessed with fully realizing the life-changing truth of the Spirit living in you, so that you can know you are the beloved of your Father, and He is yours. Be blessed with His exquisite fathering and receive it as His special child. Be blessed to know His Spirit speaking to you that you are a delight to Him.

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Your Father wants to bless you with growth that is mental, spiritual, emotional, and relational. Receive from your Father the love and acceptance you have been seeking. Your Father’s heart is passionate for your full identity as His child, based purely on relationship, not performance.

Be blessed as He calls you to fully live as the son or daughter you are. You do not have to work for it. You can’t earn that relationship. Be blessed with perfect love that casts out fear that you aren’t enough or you don’t have what it takes.

Be blessed to know without doubt that your Father is extending His favor toward you. This is the time of your Father’s favor, a time to receive His gift to you of security in His house.

Be blessed with knowing this new grace place with your heavenly Father. He wants you to receive it. Be blessed as He calls you to life, nurture, and enlargement. Be blessed with a rich gold mine of identity and legitimacy from which to live confidently and purposefully in God’s design of you and His purposes for you.

Be blessed to be released into the full rights of your true identity and legitimacy in your Father.

By Sylvia Gunter
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Be Blessed, Beloved Child – by Sylvia Gunter

• Seven-fold Blessing – by Sylvia Gunter

• Blessing of the Fruit of the Spirit – by Sylvia Gunter

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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

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Further Reading

•   He Lets me Rest

•   God, our Shield

•  Salvation Explained

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The post Blessing Of Your Heavenly Father appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“You know these things – now do them! That is the path of blessing” John 13:17

These words of Jesus are as binding on us who follow Him today as they were on the disciples who actually heard Him speak them.

You will remember the setting. Jesus had just washed the feet of His disciples as an example of servanthood that He wanted them to observe and to learn. And that is the lesson we do well to ponder: service for others.

Except for the good we can do others, in the power and with the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit, what really is the purpose of our being left here on earth? And miracle of miracles, when we do that which is right – serve others, in Christ’s name – our own personal problems seem minor and relatively unimportant.

Loneliness and depression have their quickest cure in the realm of helping others. No matter what our problem – physical, spiritual, or material – it is quite likely we can find others whose plights are worse. By giving of ourselves in their behalf, we forget about our own troubles, which are usually resolved in the process.

Simple, is it not, that we are to do those things the Lord commands us to do? When we read and study His Word, we can find our just what they are.

Bible Reading: John 13:12-16

Today’s Action Point: I will not be content with just admiring the example Jesus has set before us, but will seek to obey His commands to be a doer if the Word as well.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2009/06/28/bb_blessing/

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Did you know the Bible says that you are a priest? The basic functions of priests were to represent God to man to man before God. One of the duties was to bless the people. Our culture doesn’t understand blessing as it was practiced in the Bible. The Bible was written in and to a culture that was steeped in blessing – the blessing of shalom, blessing the child with his name, the patriarchal blessing to the sons, the blessing of God for his people, the blessing of Jesus, of the disciples, of the early church, of Peter, Paul, and James.

In the New Testament the priestly functions are transferred to all believers, and we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). We have authority and privileges as priests. Through Jesus we have the right to come into the holiest place in worship. We are called to offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and prayer (1 Peter 2:5), abiding in his presence, drawing near to him and dwelling in him, and he in us.
   
In the Bible, blessing flows three ways: from God to people, from people to God, and from person to person. Because Jesus is in us, we can pass on to his people the blessings of his heart for acceptance, identity, meaning, affirmation, legitimization, and God’s good purposes.

Here’s a blessing for your spirit in your identity as priest.

Isaiah 61:6 promises, “You will be called priests of the LORD and ministers of your God.” And,  Revelation 1:6. “[Jesus] has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father. To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. Now the awesome privilege of access to the inner court belongs to all believers. You may boldly come into the holy of holies to praise, worship, adore, and glorify your Father. Be blessed with knowing your free access to him. Receive the words of 1 Peter 2:5 and 9. You are a priest and minister to God. That is your duty and your privilege as a member of the royal priesthood. Be blessed in drawing near to him, abiding in his presence, and dwelling in him, and he in you, as you offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and prayer.

Be blessed as you minister to God in the secret place where he releases his heart to you. Be blessed as you seek him intimately and experience all of who he is. Be blessed to worship and adore him, being joyfully, willingly submitted to the One you love. Be blessed to meet him in complete surrender of all you are. Be blessed to draw near as the Spirit of the Lord abides in you, indwells you, rests on you, and anoints you.
 
Be blessed as you represent God to others by releasing his heart of blessing to your world. By standing in the gap in prayer, faith, intercessory living, and blessing, you open the door for restoration for yourself and your family. You are an instrument of renewal and rebuilding of generations of desolation and ruin. As God moves upon you, you can bless and minister to others, so that God can convict, woo, love, and reconcile them. He will make all things new and glorify himself as he ministers through you, and the glory of the throne room puts its stamp on all you are and do in his name.

You are blessed to be a blessing. Be blessed to speak deeply personal words of acceptance, identity, meaning, affirmation, and legitimacy. Be blessed to envision God’s special future for others as they come into the fullness of all he made them to be. Be blessed to let God’s presence and blessing flow through you to his glory and praise. Be blessed as you sow to the Spirit, and you will reap the things of the Spirit, for the one who sows to the Spirit reaps life. Be blessed in the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2).
Be blessed in the name of Jesus, your High Priest (Hebrews 3:1; 9:11).

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https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2009/05/03/sg_priest/

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