Who will receive the blessings?

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” – Psalm 24:3-4.

God wants us to receive every blessing that He has in store for us. That’s why He tells us in His Word how we can receive every one of His promises by having clean hands and a pure heart. What does that mean? First of all, we are made clean and pure by the blood of Jesus when we make Him our Lord and Savior and turn away from anything that displeases Him. And I’ve found that most of the time, it’s not the big things that keep us from God’s best; it’s the small things maybe it starts with an offense that turns into un-forgiveness. Or maybe you watch things on TV or the internet that you know you shouldn’t, and it becomes a bad habit that steals your time and pollutes your mind.

Make the decision today that you are going to be a person of excellence and integrity. Treat the people in your life with respect and kindness. Look for ways to be a blessing to others. Be determined to live a life that pleases God so that you can receive the honor, wealth, and abundance that He has in store for you.

Christ the power and wisdom of God

“To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:24.

People today run after two things: miraculous signs and wonders, and knowledge. It was no different in Bible times. The apostle Paul acknowledged that “Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom”. (1 Corinthians 1:22). So when Paul preached Christ crucified as God’s solution to them, the message was “to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness”. (1 Corinthians 1:23) They didn’t understand how getting a revelation of Jesus and His death could give them the miracles they needed or the wisdom they wanted.

Beloved, we don’t have to run after miracles or wisdom today. We just need to run after Jesus because He is “the power of God and the wisdom of God”. The more we know Christ and Christ crucified, the more we will have the power and wisdom of God. Several church members have shared how they have seen the power of God blast financial debts out of their lives. Not knowing what to do about their debts, they looked to the Lord to deliver them. And the Lord was able to do so mightily because He is indeed the power of God. So if you are facing a financial debt, Christ has the power to remove the debt. And because He is also the wisdom of God, He will show you where you went wrong and teach you how to stay out of debt.

My friend, Christ is both the power and wisdom of God to us. As the power of God, He removes obstacles in our paths. As the wisdom of God, He continually directs our paths.

He sets the course for victory

“He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones” – Proverbs 2:7-8.

Are you facing a challenge or difficulty that seems overwhelming? When you stand strong and remain faithful to God, He promises to set your course for victory. And victory doesn´t necessarily mean everything is going to go our way all the time or work out the way we planned. The Bible says that the real battle we face isn´t in our circumstances, it´s in our minds. The enemy is after your thoughts. He´s after your peace and joy. He knows that when you have peace, it´s a sign that you are connected to the Father. When you hold on to your peace and choose to be joyful, you are walking in victory, and it´s just a matter of time before your circumstances line up.

Remember, God knew every person who would wrong you, and He´s already laid out your vindication. God knew every disappointment, and He´s already laid out new opportunities. God knew everything that would be stolen, and He has already laid out your restoration. Rejoice today knowing that He has set your course for victory in every area of your life.

Stay open for a new thing

“Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” – Isaiah 43:19.

If we are going to be all that God created us to be, we have to be open to change. Just because something worked five years ago doesn´t mean it´s still going to work today. We can´t get so set in our ways that we won´t try anything new. Many people today have lost their enthusiasm, or there´s no freshness in their life because every time an opportunity comes for change, for promotion, for increase, they shrink back because they´re not used to it. They don´t realize that´s what´s keeping them from going to the next level.

One thing I´ve noticed about successful people is that they know how to change with the times. They don´t get stuck in a rut doing the same thing, the same way, year after year. They´re constantly evaluating where they are and what they´re doing. They make adjustments so they can improve.

Decide today to stay open for the new thing God wants to do in your life. Remember, He´s promised to make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Look for the new thing so that you can fulfill the destiny He has prepared for you.

Surrender

Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. —Matthew 16:25.

As a young girl, Amy Carmichael (1867–1951) wished she had blue eyes instead of brown. She even prayed that God would change her eye color and was disappointed when it didn’t happen. At age 20, Amy sensed that the Lord was calling her to serve Him as a missionary. After serving in various places, she went to India. It was then that she realized God’s wisdom in the way He had made her. She may have had a more difficult time gaining acceptance from the brown-eyed people if her eyes had been blue. She served God in India for 55 years. We don’t know for sure that Amy was more readily accepted because of her eye color. But we do know and believe that it is the Lord “who has made us, and not we ourselves” (Ps. 100:3). As we submit to His wisdom in everything, we can serve Him effectively.

Amy knew what submission was. When asked about missionary life, she replied, “Missionary life is simply a chance to die.” Jesus said, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25).

Our lives are never more secure than when they are abandoned to God.