All tagged blessings

Unknown Healing and Hidden Blessings

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Unknown Healing

Where are we as a people? We might wake up in the morning with a cough, but by mid-day it has gone. When this occurs we think it only natural, and that our body has healed itself, but in truth we are healed by grace every day despite becoming hardened to faith, and turning away from the ways of God. Our Heavenly Father heals without our knowing, and walks quietly with us, even with the most despicable sinners, as He whispers to our hearts, and loves us in our most undeserving moments. Will we repent? Will we turn to the Lord? Will our hearts be healed, and our feet find the way home, without our knowing?

God’s Eternal Gifts, Blessings, and Promises

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Eternal Blessings

God blesses us and we are thankful for our blessing, but does God’s commitment to His blessing end once it is given? Does the Lord bless us and then simply walk away? Sarah had a son but her blessing didn’t end there. It continued when the Lord provided a sacrifice for him later in life as Abraham was preparing to sacrifice him. Again, when God gave the Shunammite woman a son at Elisha’s request it didn’t end there either… later in his life he died, and God raised him from the dead for her. Our blessings are not simply events… they have eternal lives and continue on. Do we believe, and have confidence in this, or do we see our blessings like lightening in the sky that flashes and then is gone? The Shunammite woman didn’t see her blessing as having an expiration date… do we?

Trust is the foundation of our faith and God’s Blessings

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Trusting in God

We can’t wait on God, or do the other things of faith unless we trust in Him first. How can we believe that our Father will bless us unless we trust Him to be true to His Word? How can we believe in His divinity, and who He says Hr is unless we trust in what He tells us? So, do we trust in Him as we should? When we first came to believe that he was the one true God, and that Jesus Christ was His Son did we trust this to be absolutely true? Or, were we simply saying we believed as if repeating these words would provide us with an insurance policy to be used in case it really was true? Do we trust God, and Jesus, as they have told us to do?

Blessings in the Midst of Earthly Trauma

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Blessings in the Trauma

Are we feeling particularly blessed, and think that God has set us atop the world? Well, don’t get too comfortable there because the Lord sends us into solitary places, places that seem contrary to our service to Him, and there, in a sorrowful state, a lowly existence, He feeds us, and increases us in our faith. We were doing everything He asked, and leading a righteous life to glorify Him, when suddenly we are struck lame, made sick, suffered the death of a loved one, lost all that we have worked so hard for, or perhaps had a beloved child walk away from God, and we find ourselves in a wilderness, or alone beside the brook Cherith… humbled and unable to feed ourselves. Have we been there? Has the sunny day we have been enjoying suddenly darkened and a storm settled over us?

Trust, and Faith, in the Presence of Giants and Fear

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Giants

When the Lord gives us something it always requires that we trust in Him before we can possess it. When He gave Canaan to the Israelites it was no different. The Lord told Moses to send out men to explore Canaan, the land that He had given them, but when they reported back they had a mixed report. The land was indeed bountiful, but it was well defended, and was also inhabited by giants. How many times has God told us to do something, go somewhere, or take possession of a gift He has extended us, but something intimidating stood in our way… we found that giants stood between us, and the promised blessing of the Lord? How did we react? Did our faith give us the strength to go forward, or did it fail us? Did we find ourselves turning back in fear? Is our trust in God strong enough to accept His blessings?

Forgetting the pain of trial, and remembering the reward of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Blessing

When Joseph had been through all his boyhood suffering, been sold into slavery, and had risen to power in Egypt, he was blessed with two sons. The first he named after God’s mercy for allowing him to forget those hardships, and the second he named for the blessings God poured out on him after his afflictions. We should take note that although we face trouble in our lives the Lord is merciful in them, and that blessings rise from their ashes. Do we look at our lives like a burning house, and forget this short lived suffering while seeing what our Father is preparing to build for us on that very spot?

Worldly Faith, and our Greater Faith in God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Greater Faith in God

Does our faith make us righteous? When we are doing the hard things in life are we able to lean on God with sufficient trust, knowing that He is not only more than capable of doing what He has promised, but will do it? When we believe with this much strength in the Lord then there is no room left for doubting Him, or for us to claim or reassign a shred of His glory as He is working.

Thanking God for the Storms that lead to Blessings

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Blessings and Storms

4/08/2022

We thank God often for our many blessings but do we thank Him sufficiently for the hardships and suffering that led us to them? It seems that we are more inclined to view our faith and interaction with the Lord through rose colored glasses, and quickly set aside the memories of suffering to make room for the wonderful blessings that came as a result. Could God have led the Israelites out of captivity if they hadn’t first been placed in bondage? Would the blessing of the manna have come if they hadn’t been starving in the wilderness? Today let’s look at the great moments of faith and blessing in our lives, and thank God, and Jesus for what led us to them in the first place… the storms.

Blessings and Miracles… in the Storms, and in the “I” Times

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Miracles and Blessings

What do we do when we find ourselves far from shore, being beaten by the waves of life, and we can’t make any headway towards safe harbor because the wind is blowing strong against us? We have all experienced times like this, so what did we do? Did we fall to the deck and consider ourselves lost? Did we pull our sails down, get out the oars, and try to row ourselves out of trouble, or did we look out across the churning sea of life for Jesus, as we cried out for spiritual help? If we find ourselves in this situation, and Jesus comes to us, do we recognize him, and if he calls us to come to him in the midst of the gale, will we go?

God’s Promises, Blessings, and Holy Ground

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , God’s Promises

How many of God’s promises have we actually laid claim to? When the Lord promises us joy, or peace, do we walk upon those promises to make them our own, or do we look at what it takes to get there, and decide that where we are is good enough? Moses was Promised Land, and later that promise was emphasized again to Joshua, but this promise wasn’t without condition… they had to possess it… to walk barefoot upon it. Do we take possession of what God, and Jesus, have given us? Do we realize that we are on Holy Ground in them?

Receiving the Blessings of God, Great and Small

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Blessings

Each morning when I wake up I thank God for the day, and the many blessings of the day before. I also pray the He forgives me for my sins, ask for the salvation of the souls of those around me, and many other things, but I always conclude my early morning prayers by asking Him to keep His hand on me during the day, and to continue blessing me. However, when I ask for His blessing I fully understand that those blessings come in many forms. I might receive some by joyfully being in His presence, I might happily get additional pay at work, or meet a new person who I can share the gospel with, but blessings don’t always come wrapped in happiness, sometimes they are born of terrible suffering and hardship. You see, our greatest blessings are spiritual in nature, and those quite often rise up from hard times. Are you in the midst of a storm in your life?

We are Blessed in every Season, and forevermore

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Blessings

What is the season we find ourselves in? Do we recognize it? Are we in a season of gladness, and righteousness, or has disease and the selfishness of man banished our hope in the goodness of our shepherds, the provision of our land, and brought drought to the Church? Whether it is joy, hopelessness, or some season in between, God gives those who keep their faith in Him His blessings, he sends us showers of blessings to sustain us, and gives us hope in Him, through His Son Jesus.

Receiving Blessings Great and Small

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Receiving Blessings

When we follow the Lord with all our heart He blesses us. When we obey Him, and remain in His will, He rewards us. Let’s think back on those times when it would have been easier to go along with the crowd, turn a blind eye to something we knew was wrong, or not to give of ourselves because it would hurt us to do so; yet, we remained true to the Lord in these things. Did we not receive a blessing from being faithful? Our obedience never goes without notice, or reward, and the more difficult, or painful the effort, the greater we are blessed… sometimes with riches or earthly things, but always with spiritual wealth.

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