Gleanings for November 29

DISCOVERING THE BLESSINGS

Psalm 119: 33 - 35 selected portions: “Teach me O Lord…Give me understanding…Make me walk in Your path.”

Here is an excellent footnote from my Bible: “Though godliness never earns access to heaven, through godly living we discover the blessing of heaven on earth.” “Discovering the blessings” is one of our goals as we share scripture with you each day. Two more passages will be paraphrased for you, I encourage you to look them up in your own Bible and read them in their entirety.

Matthew 10: 30 – 33 selected portions paraphrased: God knows each one of us intimately; we have no need to fear. He cares for us, it is necessary for us to confess Him as Lord and then we must let others know about Him.

When we discover the “blessings of heaven” and begin to walk them out while we are here on earth, along with the benefits we experience from those blessings, should come awareness that our life on earth is only like the “blink of an eye”, compared to eternity when “time” (as we know it now) shall be no more. This makes “sharing the good news” of salvation so important. We need God’s wisdom to be effective.

Praise the Lord, we are not left without His Wisdom, look at what James tells us in the first chapter of his book: This is from the New King James Version:

James 1: 5 – 8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, ask of God Who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to you. But ask in faith, without doubting;

“For anyone who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind, do not suppose you will receive anything from the Lord---you are double-minded and unstable in all your ways.”

That is a scripture we have shared with you at other times; I will continue to remind you of it because it touches us where we live!! For you to know “what you should do” when doubts arise, you must “open your mouth” and “ASK!” God has blessings stored up and waiting to give His children if only they will ask Him for the help that they need.

Notice: God wants to give to us “liberally and without REPROACH” “without reproach” means: God will not remind us of our unworthiness. Hallelujah! In ourselves, we deserve nothing; IN CHRIST we have everything we need. We must learn how to access that which is ours and it begins by asking.

In order to receive the money you have deposited in a bank, you must ASK for it or you will not receive it—that is a good parallel. As we make deposits in heaven by ‘godly’ living, we can and should, ask with a humble heart, for the things we need.

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!!!