Where Is The Blessing?

Matthew 1
19 And her [promised] husband Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly.

We can only imagine the pain, confusion and disappointment before the angel came. We can assume that others noticed too. Her family, her friends, her neighbours, her town… How many would believe her story? A virgin birth?? She was doing the will of The Father, she was being faithful to the call… Where was the blessing?

Luke 2
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
5 To be enrolled with Mary, his espoused (married) wife, who was about to become a mother.

Not only had she to endure almost losing her betrothed and the judgement and disdain of others but now a heavily pregnant Mary must make the 4 day journey by foot or donkey to Bethlehem!! How uncomfortable this must have been! Could not The Lord have provided a camel and a cart? Why didn’t God postpone the census? Where was the blessing?

Luke 2
7 And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn.

There was no warm room, no warm blankets, no hot water, no nurses… There was no bed!! There was no room!! A new born child, laid in a cold, barren manger ((with no mention of a stable))!! Where was the blessing??!

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Our flesh will always look to its own earthly experience and possessions for blessing, justification and comfort.

Mary never asked where the blessing was. She was in possession of the greatest blessing that anyone could ever know!! She had the promised Messiah living within her and no earthly “need” or desire compared to such a precious honour and privilege!! Nothing else mattered! She carried The Lord Jesus Christ and He was so much more than enough! She could trust implicitly that she was the handmaiden of The Lord and that Jehovah was seeing to her every need to fulfil His will in her life.

And where was the fruit of that testimony brought out? In a place where every earthly support was removed. Only when every fleshly comfort and provision was taken away was the life/testimony/glory of The Lord Jesus brought forth. The flesh will look on and see great hardship, poverty and shame but faith sees the precious presence and blessing of Almighty God! Hallelujah! The flesh would have made a temple out of the Inn, but praise The Lord we read of only Jesus and nothing else!

The Born Again believer possesses the greatest blessing that could ever be asked for! The source of all life has come and dwells within us!! Emmanuel!! Hallelujah!! The Lord Jesus Christ living within our hearts!! Nothing else matters! Nothing else compares to the wonder of it all!! The Father is seeing to our every need and He will bring to fruition the life and glory of His Son in our lives as we walk faithfully and obediently in the way, as Mary did, removing all dependence on earthly/fleshly means. Hallelujah we have Christ within! The source of all life, joy, hope, victory and glory!! Let us carry HIS life unto fruition to the place that we are lead to. It is HIS life! And HIS life LIVES!!

1 Corinthians 6
19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,
20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

Faith Rejoices Evermore

Psalm 27
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Faith does not rise from petitioning and crying out before The Lord with teeth still clenched and desperation. Faith rises with joyful, restful assurance that God is indeed already doing exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or think.
Faith does not dig in and fight in prayerful frustration trying to force through its own desires. Faith fervently casts and commits the trials, cares and burdens of life to the Almighty God knowing soundly that this is the day that He has made and that He, The Lord, is truly making all things beautiful in His time. That He is Sovereign, Good and working out His will in our lives. At times we must toil and persist and follow our Shepherd into the valley or into the presence of our enemies but faith is always resting in the presence of the Shepherd.
Faith does not strive, work harder and increase self effort to achieve. Faith surrenders to The Lord and casts itself upon His loving kindnesses, tender mercies and compassions and rejoices in being submitted to God and remaining as the apple of Jehovah Jireh’s eye.
Faith rejoices evermore, in all things, in sacrifice and blessing because faith knows, remembers, hopes in and walks before The Lord God Almighty, The Ruler of Heaven & Earth, The Redeemer and Saviour! Faith is rightly related to Jesus and rightly identified with His death and resurrected life! Identified with Him and by Him!

Luke 18
8 … When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

Only A Little To Offer

John 6
9 There is a little boy here, who has [with him] five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many people?

Matthew 14
18 He said, Bring them here to Me.
…
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

A little boy, gave a little gift. No one knows his name. No one knows his life story or his testimony. He was just a little boy with just a little to give.
His gift was not praised or appreciated. What he had to give was questioned and looked upon as useless/hopeless. Even by Jesus’ chosen disciples.
It is really not important who gave, it is not important what his gift was but it is of utmost importance who it is given to!! He gave his little to Jesus! He gave it all to The Lord.
We don’t need to over romanticise his gift either. He did not give all his earthly possessions, we don’t know if he even gave all his food for the day… He gave a packed lunch. He simply gave what he had in his hand. But he gave it all and without reservation or condition.
No one knows the name of the little boy with the despised little gift… But we rejoice and glory still today in the testimony of abundance that Jesus created with the little that was given into His hands!

Exodus 4
2 And the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.
…
17 And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall work the signs [that prove I sent you].

Oh may we give our little to The Lord, without reservation or condition, without desire for recognition or glory, and may we refuse to doubt what God can accomplish if we would be faithful to give our little things, just whatever we have, to The Lord Jesus Christ! In our hands it is indeed a small and useless little thing but in the hands of The Living God it will be a precious testimony to His glory!

The Little Things

Luke 16
10 Who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much…

The very little things. They’re so little. Things that seem unimportant, things that are so menial, boring and basic. They are little things. So little we often miss them, we forget them or we hide them away. We may find them tiring or inconvenient. However, it is these little things that make up the mighty work and testimony of God in a believer.

James 4
14 … What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air].

Let us be found faithful with the little lives that we have. May we never lose the joy of simply having the opportunity to faithfully serve The Lord. No matter the outcome, it is a joy and precious privilege that He would entrust us with His mina, His life, His word and His Spirit! Continue in well doing. Hide yourself in the secret place of His presence. Stay faithful in the little for little is much when God is in it.
Oswald Chambers: My personal life may be crowded with small petty incidents, altogether unnoticeable and mean, but if I obey Jesus Christ in the haphazard circumstances, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God, and when I stand face to face with God I shall discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed.
The world observes God in the greater works but it is in the little things that we can know Him.

Rejoice Always, With Thanksgiving.

Philippians 4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

If we would learn to obey just this one command… Oh how wonderful life would be!
Corinthians 11:24-25 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. [25] After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me
It is in remembering, rejoicing and singing God’s praises that we find His presence and victory! When we lift up Jesus in praise, He will draw all men unto Himself! It is in remembering Him and all that He is and all that He has done that we find joy and rest, hope and peace! But it is not enough to only remember! There is a victory in the singing! So sing out His psalms and hymns and Spiritual songs! Obedience brings blessing!
Don’t we have so much to sing about?! Don’t we have so much to be grateful for?! Rejoice that your names are written in heaven!! Rejoice in your Redeemer!! Rejoice in His promises!! Rejoice in His provisions!! Rejoice in how much you’ve been forgiven!! Rejoice that He has not dealt with us according to our sins and iniquities! Rejoice that He has not marked iniquity! Rejoice for His everlasting love and this day of Grace! Rejoice in His precious gifts and blessings that add no sorrow!!
God literally dwells in the place where His praises are offered. When we bring a sacrifice of praise, when we sing in the valley and sing in the fire… We bring His presence into our hearts! The darkness will become light, the mourning will turn to dancing as we take our eyes off of our flesh/trials and sing of our Saviour, Redeemer and God! He dwells in those praises! In His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore! In His presence hearts are ministered to!

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

This is a description of a truly intimate relationship with God. A relationship of true trust, dependence and submission. A relationship that should be a natural reality to the Born Again believer.
Paul says in “everything”! However dramatic or menial; however insignificant or consequential; whatever the time, whatever the situation, whatever the context. Bring it all before The Lord. Bring every care, every concern, every need, desire, hurt and failure. Come with liberty, come with welcome, come with honesty and humility…
But come with thanksgiving! Bring everything before The Lord but always come remembering all that He is, all that He has done, how He has met every need, how He has freely given Salvation, forgiveness, tender mercies and loving compassions, wisdom, freedom and victory! He has never failed! His arm is not shortened! He has brought you safely this far in His strength (not your own!). He is the sovereign God over all the earth! He is the creator, the maintainer, the beginning and the end!! Hallelujah!! We have very much to give thanks for!!