My Faith Meets My World:
God's Blessings in My Life

How do you get so much done?
Sometimes my friends and coworkers ask me how I accomplish so much. So I just want to write my testimony here. The simple answer is, "God blesses me!"

Now before you think that I believe if you are a Christian you'll have a perfect blessing-filled life, let me clarify! I don't believe that if you trust in God you'll have a new car, a great job, and all the material blessings of this world. Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation : but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." I know that God has certainly allowed trials in my life to teach me lessons and polish me for His use. See Malachi 3:2, Isaiah 64:8, Isaiah 45:9, and Jeremiah 18:6.

On the other hand, I believe that when you obey God, He can do great things in your life. "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 28:1-2. Based on this, I believe there are three major factors that affect God's blessings in my life.

 

1. Living in Surrender
The first is foremost and overarching. Daily I surrender my life and plans to Jesus Christ. "Be not therefore anxious for the morrow. . . . Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34, R.V.

The follwing words, inspired around 100 years ago, encourage me to daily take all my plans, challenges, and request to my Heavenly Father. Emphasis mine.

"If you have given yourself to God, to do His work, you have no need to be anxious for tomorrow. He whose servant you are, knows the end from the beginning. The events of tomorrow, which are hidden from your view, are open to the eyes of Him who is omnipotent.

When we take into our hands the management of things with which we have to do, and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are taking a burden which God has not given us, and are trying to bear it without His aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and thus are really putting ourselves in His place. We may well have anxiety and anticipate danger and loss, for it is certain to befall us. But when we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good we shall cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, for our will is swallowed up in the will of God.

Christ has given us no promise of help in bearing today the burdens of tomorrow. He has said, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9); but, like the manna given in the wilderness, His grace is bestowed daily, for the day's need. Like the hosts of Israel in their pilgrim life, we may find morning by morning the bread of heaven for the day's supply.

One day alone is ours, and during this day we are to live for God. For this one day we are to place in the hand of Christ, in solemn service, all our purposes and plans, casting all our care upon Him, for He careth for us. "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 30:15.

If you will seek the Lord and be converted every day; if you will of your own spiritual choice be free and joyous in God; if with gladsome consent of heart to His gracious call you come wearing the yoke of Christ,--the yoke of obedience and service,--all your murmurings will be stilled, all your difficulties will be removed, all the perplexing problems that now confront you will be solved." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, p. 100-101

Other books that help me live in daily surrender are Steps to Christ and The Purpose Driven Life as well as regular Bible reading.

 

Keeping the Sabbath
I've written about this already here in "The Sabbath is Rest." When you take a full 24 hour to stop working (any kind of work!) every week, on the day that God commanded, God can bless you and your work in ways that are not possible otherwise.

The Sabbath brings balance and rest to my life. Without it I'd be working too much for sure! Taking time to stop and reflect is crucial in our high tech frentic Western society. Sabbath gives me time to think about my life, ask God for forgiveness for my sins, compromise with the world, and lack of trust. I listen to Him better on Sabbath because the cares of the world aren't pressing in.

I encourage you to study what the Bible says about the Sabbath, keep it within a trusting, believing relationship with Jesus, and you too can find it's great blessings!

G, Kenneth. "bbsunset.jpg." Pics4Learning. May 2000. http://pics.tech4learning.com.

waffles and fruitFollowing God's Lifestyle Blueprint
Finally, when you follow God's design for healthful living, putting into your "car" the "gas" that He designed, the body and brain work better! This includes drinking lots of water, avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, getting exercise (which I'm improving on!), eating vegetarian, and getting enough sleep. The acronym NEW START summarizes the principles well. Certainly I'm not perfect in this area, but I'm always growing and improving the ways I take care of my body. I do this because God asks us to!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know t hat your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Read more scripture support here and health tips here.

We have stories in the Bible of people who were faithful to God in trying circumstances such as Joseph and Daniel. I want to follow God with that type of commitment for my whole life. Don't you?


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Last Updated September 20, 2011

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