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Mishandled Blessings
by Steve Countryman There is a joke that fits this topic fairly well. It goes something like thisThere was a guy whose neighborhood became flooded. He ended up on the roof of his house. The waters continued to rise so he decided to pray. "Oh God, please rescue me from this disaster and spare my life." Suddenly a man showed up in a rubber raft. He said, "Hey get in. I have enough room for us both." The man on the roof said, "No thanks, I know God will rescue me." A few minutes later a guy in a large boat shows up and says, "Come on down and climb in my boat." But the man on the roof said, "No thanks, I know God will rescue me." Then a helicopter hovered over his house and threw down a rope and said, "Tie the rope around you and I'll lift you up and out of here." But the man on the roof said, "No thanks, my God will rescue me." The waters rose and the man drowned. When he showed up in heaven God was there to meet him. The man asked God, "Why didn't you rescue me?" God answered, " I sent three people to rescue you but you turned them all away!" How many times have we all prayed for God's blessings? How often have we become frustrated at ourselves for not doing the right things that bring God's blessings into our lives? I asked God. "I know I get frustrated, how does it make you feel?" He then showed me "God was standing at a door of a house. His arms were piled high with gifts or blessings. They were all gift wrapped and all different sizes. So many gifts that you couldn't see His face. He rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. He waited but no one came. They all had their reasons for not answering the door. One said that it wasn't for them because they were not expecting any blessings right then, the timing wasn't right. Another one said that it couldn't be for them for they were busy looking out the window at the road because their blessings could only come that way. Yet their was one who answered the door and said that there were too many blessings and no place to put them. Another one came to the door and looked out at all the blessings and said that they were the wrong blessings and closed the door." What a terribly sad sight that was! How many times have we closed the door on God's blessings? Our preconceived ideas of God's blessings is part of the problem. What our blessings should look like, when our blessings should show up, from whom our blessings should come from and how they are supposed to come are some examples. But that is not the only problem that we have with God's blessings. Sometimes we complain about His blessings. I remember a time at my shop when the phone was ringing off the wall. We were swapped and barely able to take care of the customers in front of us when the phone just kept ringing. I started complaining about the numerous phone calls and what an interruption they were when I heard a voice in me say, "What if the phone calls stopped all together?" It dawned on me that I was complaining about God's blessings on my business. I said to God, "Forgive me, let the phone calls come!" It pleases and blesses God to bless His Children. Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. John 10:10 I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able { and willing } to do immeasurably more than all we ask { think } or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Immeasurably more you cannot dream big enough. You cannot imagine large enough. You cannot think great enough of all of the blessings that God has in store for you! One thing that I am slowly starting to learn is that with such great and powerful blessings that God is pouring out, that I need His wisdom to manage those blessings correctly. To utilize, to share, to organize, to prepare, to invite, to invoke, to cherish, to be thankful for and to praise God for. Not to be wasteful, not to be arrogant with, not to ignore, not to assume, not to abuse, not to misuse, not to lose, not to complain about, not to be proud or flaunt about and not to tell God how to. But to stay in that constant state of awe over God's goodness, His giving heart, His generosity, His wisdom and His compassion. Thank you Lord for all of your blessings, all that you do and provide and for being my God. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |