Devotions for God’s Family

1 Corinthians 4:15–21 (ESV): For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

Yes, I know, there is a lot of scripture to read this morning. I think it is important for us though. I want to key in on a specific word, because I think that it is the key to this passage and a key, actually to some really blessed things at our hands. I want you to be able to receive a blessing.

Does any one want or need a blessing? Did you know that that is one of God’s favorite things to do, that is, give blessings away. He freely gives blessings, it is easy for Him to do.

In His presence blessings exist, not because He waves His hand and conjures blessings, in the inner most part of the unsearchableness (new word I just made up) of God, is blessing exploding outward, that is who God is. That is why we will pine to be with Him forever, what will come from God will enthrall us and shake us to the core with His goodness and power.

Blessing shoots out in every direction and the closer you are the more you get it on you and in you. In heaven when the word says that we will never be separated from God…

Romans 8:38–39 (ESV): For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is a promise we have from God. It exists now on earth, while we are here, imagine what that will be like when we are in heaven with God.

John 14:3 (ESV): And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Here it is again, the intent of God is for you to be blessed in His presence, forever, God is drawing you in, closer and closer and His blessing coming out of Him, never ending, never stopping will be yours forever, the closer you draw to Him the more blessing permeates your being. He is drawing you in and you will never want to leave, and you don’t have to.

Once more,

Psalm 52:8–9 (NLT): But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love. 9 I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.

Can you hear it? The eternal blessing, being in the presence of God forever. God doesn’t withhold blessing because He is the blessing and that blessing shoots out in all directions for all who long for His appearing. All who want the blessing that comes from the Lord.

There is all kinds of “blessings” on earth that a man or woman can go after, but in the end it requires a lot of work to sustain it and this world’s blessings slip through your hands as time go on. It requires anxious work to keep it up and going. In God’s blessing, it actually gets better with time, the older you get, the richer the blessing becomes.

The closer that we get to God the closer we are to blessing. The further we are from God the further we are from blessing. You were made for the blessing of God.

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This is an introduction to the passage presented at the beginning of the devotional. To get the most from this teaching, I want you to be in the flow of God’s blessing. It is ok, if you don’t feel it. You can simply ask God to give you the desire for it.

God is understanding, He is fully aware of your humanity, more than the confession of you not having the desire to flow in His blessing is His desire for you to be in that flow. He isn’t shocked, disappointed or angry. His blessing is right there. Simply ask God to give you a desire for it.

He will. He loves to. The Holy Spirit will lovingly reveal if there are things in you that stop the realization of God blessing filling you.

Romans 2:4 (NLT): Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

How wonderful, the kindness of God is how He gets us back into the flow of His blessing. In the realization of what the Holy Spirit reveals we will experience the kindness of God, which is the understanding of our humanity, frailty, sinfulness. God doesn’t judge, He accepts and restore.

WOW! How good is that – go there! Let God scrub the barnacles off of you. Let’s pursue the flow of God’s blessing, the place we were made for. The place we will exist forever. Nothing blocking the blessing. Fully receiving, fully grateful, fully satisfied.

Lord, teach us what it will be like when we stand in Your presence forever. Forever having access to You. You have made us to dwell with You in Your presence forever. We will be seen forever as those who have been touched and are continually filled with Your blessings of grace. Thank You for Your kindness and mercy. Open our eyes to see, we want to have more of You. We freely admit that there are things of this world that stand in the way of our understanding and realization of Your powerful blessings filling us. Thank You for Your mercy and grace – pierce through our skin and reach our hearts so that we can know You more. Thank You Jesus for making this possible through the cross and tomb!

Blessings

Pastor D