WANT TO BE BLESSED AND PROSPER?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
(Proverbs 16:20)

MEDITATION:
If you could choose one thing that you would like to have,
what would it be? Would it be success? Would it be wealth?
Would it be fame? Would it be having some special talent?
Would it be freedom from worry? Would it be joy? Would
it be peace?

The reality is, there is no genie with the ability to fulfill our one wish.
However, the Bible gives us some promises that we can believe in and
trust. We can get answers to questions such as:
    – Who am I?
    – What am I doing here?
    – Why was I born?
    – What is expected of me?
    – Where am I going?

The Bible also gives us valuable instructions for living. We are told
that whenever we ‘heed instructions’ we will ‘prosper’. When we hear
the word ‘prosper’ we have a tendency to think of wealth and success.
However, there are many other areas where we can prosper, such as:
    – Having a successful marriage.
    – Being successful in our relationships with others.
    – Having a healthy self-esteem.
    – Being successful in serving God.
    – Having success in finding peace in our lives.

Our prosperity is dependent on our efforts to the ‘heed instructions’
in the Bible. “Heeding” means we apply biblical instructions to our
own lives. For instance:
    When the Bible tells us to love one another,
        – We need to develop a capacity to love others;
          instead of finding fault in others, we need to
          look for their good qualities.

    When the Bible tells us to be kind to others,
        – We need to be conscious of how we treat others.
          We need to be the kind of person to others that
          Jesus was, and is, to us.

Whatever the Bible tells us to do,
we need to be diligent in our efforts to obey.

We are told that whenever we ‘trust in the Lord’, we will be ‘blessed’.
Whenever we ‘trust in the Lord’, it means we believe His promises.
When show we believe in His promises, by applying His instructions
to our own lives. We prove our trust in Him whenever by obeying
His commands.

Here are just a few of the blessings we can receive:

    The kingdom of heaven is ours when we are poor in spirit.
    (‘poor in spirit’ means we realize that we are
    spiritually bankrupt without the Holy Spirit)

    We will be comforted whenever we are mourning.
    (We mourn over the unsaved and their ultimate destiny)

    We will inherit the earth whenever we are meek.
    (‘meek’ means we have a humble attitude
      that is devoid of egotism and arrogance)

    We will be filled whenever we hunger and thirst for righteousness.
    (‘hungering and thirsting for righteousness means we
      have a desire to develop the characteristics of Jesus
      in our own lives)

    We will be shown mercy whenever we are merciful toward others.
    (Showing mercy means we have compassion
      and a willingness to forgive others)

    We will see God when we are pure in heart.
    (Seeing God means we have a desire to please Him in all
      things so we will ultimately see Him one day in paradise)

    We will be called children of God when we become peacemakers.
    (Being a peacemaker means we have a desire to defuse
      anger in others and in ourselves; it also means not being
      a trouble maker, a fault finder, or a gossiper)

    The kingdom of heaven is ours when we
    are persecuted due to our righteousness.
    (This means we can experience a type of heaven here on earth)

    We will be blessed and have a great reward in heaven when
    others insult us, cause us misery, and make up false stories
    about us because of our faith.
    (This means we are becoming more like Jesus who
    was treated badly and unfairly by others for His faith)

A lot of people wonder about their own existence. They have a
struggle with trying to figure out why they were born, and why
they are here. Coping with the challenges of life can cause the
unsaved to overburden themselves with worry.

ACTION:
The scriptures give us promises that the world cannot match. Confusion
and unanswered questions can get clarity whenever we put our faith and
and trust in Jesus Christ. When we receive Him as Lord, it means we have
given Him permission to be our Pilot and have control of all our thoughts,
actions, words, attitudes, ideals, morals, etc.

Do you believe the promises in God’s Word (Bible)? Have you tried
to apply the biblical instructions to your own life? Are there any of
God’s instructions you have decided to ignore or disobey? Have you
given the Lord control of all facets of your life?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I trust You to control my life.
Knowing You will guide me in the right path gives
me joy. Make me aware of any areas of my life that
I have not given to You. Forgive me if I am disobeying
any of Your instructions and help me to become more
obedient to You. I want to put my entire faith and trust
in You. Thank You for the many blessings You have
already given me and for the ones I will receive as
I become more obedient to You.”

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