ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY RECEIVING GOD’S BLESSINGS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Now be pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue 
forever in Your sight; for You, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with 
Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”  
(2 Samuel 7:29)

MEDITATION:
Receiving God’s blessings is something that many Christians struggle with.
Some wonder why they don’t feel He is blessing them, 
however they are not doing anything to show that He is Lord of their lives.
They may attend church more than the CEO (Christmas and Easter Only), 
crowd, but they are not committed to worshipping Him on a regular basis.

They may pitch a few dollars in the offering plate, but they are not committed 
to obeying His command to return at least a tenth of what they have earned.
They may use their spiritual gift once in awhile, but they are not committed 
to looking for opportunities to use it often.

The family is the most important unit of society and for it to flourish, 
it needs to have God’s blessings.
Without God’s blessings, 
we might experience all kinds of problems within the family.

Our children may not say much about it, but they are observant 
of the level of our faith, and how much we are committed to the Lord.
For instance, if we seldom or never go to church, 
why in the world would we be surprised if our children follow our example?

We have a responsibility as parents to leave no doubt in our children 
that our faith and commitment to God is sincere.
Without the influence of the church and other believers, 
our children can become prey for the evil one.
They can be pulled even further away from the Lord 
by the sinful attractions of the world.

I have heard all kinds of reasons for not following God’s command 
to meet with other believers, including:
“I work hard all week and I need the worship time to do what I want to do”.
“I read the Bible and watch preaching on television, that’s all I need”.
“Maybe I should be in church, but the things I do instead are not sinful”.
“I don’t like the way the worship service is conducted”.
“I don’t like the way the pastor presents the message”.
“I don’t like the type of music they sing”.
“Someone said some unkind words to me and I’m not going back”.
“I don’t know anyone at the church”.
“I don’t have anything to wear”.
“My parents didn’t go to church and I turned out okay”.

These are all simply justifications for being selfish with our time.
We want to do what we what we want to do, and we can find all kinds of reasons
to do them and ignore what God has commanded of those who belong to Him.
Then, we wonder why we, and our family, don’t sense God’s blessings.

The family and the home can never exert their proper influence 
while ignoring the biblical standard. 
The Bible calls for discipline and a recognition of authority. 
If children do not learn this at home, they will go out into society 
without the proper attitude toward authority and law. 

There is always the exceptional child, but the averages tells us 
that the child is largely what the home has made him or her. 
The only way to provide the right home for our children is to 
give the Lord His rightful place in the home; to leave no doubt in our 
children that praise, worship and obedience to Him is our first priority.

ACTION:
Do you feel as though you are missing out on God’s blessings in your home?
What do you plan to do about it?
What are you allowing to steal His time and priority?
Do you feel that you have let your children down by being too selfish 
and moving God to a place other than first in your life?

Don’t ever get the idea that because your children are older, it is too late.
Most children want to identify with a solid foundation in their parents, 
and would welcome a change in you that shows 
God has been moved back to first place in your life.
It encourages them and assures them that when He is first,
they can deal with whatever challenges that come their way.
Why? Because they have observed how you have relied on the Lord.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I am so sorry for putting other things ahead of showing 
You proper respect and worshipping You as I should. I admit that my 
selfishness has caused me to put other things ahead of You and Your 
commands. I want to receive Your blessings. One of the greatest blessings 
I could receive is to see my children dedicated to worshipping and serving 
You. Please forgive me for my past mistakes, and convict me of the changes 
I need to make in order to eliminate my selfishness, and give You number 
one priority in my life. I want my life to point my children (and others) 
to You.”