GOD’S BLESSINGS

Thanksgiving is still several weeks away, but this week’s passage from Joel 2:23ff certainly put me in the mood and reminded me of the blessings I have. The passage is all the more marvelous when we remember that Joel writes to the people of Israel as they are under God’s correction, held captive in a distant land.

The words Joel uses don’t seem to match up with the feelings the people of Israel probably experienced.

REJOICE – There just seems something out of place when we begin to talk about rejoicing during or through correction. When I think about times in my life when I received a needed correction, I fail to come up with one time that also was one of rejoicing. We can rejoice in the opportunity to set things right or the fact that the correction may not have been as severe as we had anticipated, but we fail to rejoice until the correction is over.

ABUNDANT – Abundance is something we can rejoice about. We usually think of it as a blessing when we have an abundance of money, an abundance of love, or an abundance of talent or skill in a particular field. God’s blessings are never simply sufficient. They are abundant!

FILL/OVERFLOW – Most of us settle for our cup of blessings to be filled. Joel speaks for the blessings as overflowing. God doesn’t stop when it reaches the brim of the cup. He never does anything part way. When He says He will bless you, He makes sure that you are totally blessed. He doesn’t want there to be any doubt in your mind as to the sufficiency of His grace and strength in times of need.
PLENTY – God’s blessings are not rare commodities. Some of think we go through lean times. Probably, the truth is closer to the fact that there are some times God blesses us more than other times. Those times of lesser blessing may find the bills a little more difficult to pay, the menu slightly varied, our trips or vacations closer to home, but the truth of the matter is we are still well fed, well compensated, and well rested when we realize the wonders our Savior sends our way.

The key verse here says, Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord, your God, and that there is no other; Our Heavenly Father chooses to bless us in such a way that we will never doubt the source of our blessings or the existence of the one who sends them our way.

Regardless of your situation, regardless of how far down you feel right now, regardless how far you are held captive from the place you call home, your Heavenly Father promises a time of blessing – blessing greater than sufficient, greater than full. Blessing abundantly overflowing and bringing a time of great rejoicing. You will know your Heavenly Father has brought this for you, to you, and through you. God will pour out his Spirit upon you.
Pastor Craig