Psalm 40:4
How you live your life demonstrates who the head of your life is and what matters most to you… The Lord cannot be “our trust” if we give up the value He has within our lives to fit in with others… This verse taken from the 40th psalm informs us of what it takes to be called BLESSED! So often we hear people say that they are blessed and highly favored… Highly favored coming from the announcement made to Mary by the angels that she would give birth to Christ! Notice that Mary was an upright women who lived a life adhering to God’s will and standard of living, she adapted to every situation she faced and never gained an ego nor lived by the worldly views… One who trusts in the Lord remains humble while being exalted; they stay the course in rocky situations and seek to fulfill the desires of God… There are stipulations that come with this territory of being called BLESSED. If you claim that you are blessed, than that means you trust the Lord, aren’t concerned about the respect of peers and aren’t caught up in the ways of this world… To be a blessed individual, there are a lot of sacrifices that you must make and they are broken down below: Keep in mind that we all are blessed, but we must understand that this doesn’t just mean that God has favored us or brought us through storms, to be blessed is indeed a validation to where you stand as a child of God!
1) You must trust the Lord: Trusting is not only believing but also expecting in any and every situation (whether good or bad)… This means that even in the dark days of your life you must continue to hold to God’s word, when things are uncertain, your faith must remain certain and when tribulations face you daily you must believe that HE is, and that HE is a reward of them that diligently seek him! Trusting God is not simply praying, but withstanding the test without complaining… Do you trust Him?
2) Respect NOT the Proud: How hard is it for you to ignore what the world views as success, how hard is it for you to stand still despite what people may say and hold to God’s hand? There will be many chances in this life for you to show your trust in the Lord and dealing with peer pressure is one of them. Christ came to this earth and went against the Sanhedrin and Pharisees; He turned the tide and went against the grain… To be blessed you must do the same, it is a lot easier to be of the world then to just be in it, but a true BLESSED child of God will go against the status quo and deliver a powerful witness against those who proclaim the ways of evil!
3) Nor turn aside to Lies: This last task may be the most daunting of them all, we are called to walk upright before the Lord and this means that we must avoid the temptations of this world and sacrifice our sinful nature daily… Walking a Christian journey is filled with ups and downs strengths and weaknesses… Due to this fact there will be many opportunities for you to lean away from God’s calling. People will come against the Lord at your weakest hour, they will blaspheme Him when you feel alone and isolated, but you must be capable of rising against the falsehoods and staying focused on the one who is THE AUTHOR AND FINSHER OF YOUR FAITH! God has started a masterpiece in your life, but it will not reap the rewards until every stroke has been completed. Sadness is a stroke, pain is a stroke, healing is a stroke, perseverance is a stroke, endurance is a stroke, and these things will mold you into the masterpiece He has called you to be! It is in the weak hours that Satan will try to plant lies within you that will lead you to question your faith; you must turn them aside and stay the course…
You are blessed not because God has let you see another day, but because you trust the Lord, you are blessed not because things are coming with ease, but because you don’t respect the proud and egotistic persons, and you are blessed not because you have many things, but because you do not adhere to the lies that will come against your God! Jesus said, “Take up your cross!” Another way to interpret these words is to simply ask the following question:
Are you truly BLESSED and do you have what it takes to be called BLESSED?
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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