BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. He said:

The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.

Surely it is You who love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand. At Your feet, they all bow down, and from You receive instruction, the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.

He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel.

"Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few."

And this he said about Judah:

Hear, O Lord, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!"

About Levi he said:

Your Thummim and Urim belong to the man you favored. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.

He said of his father and mother, 'I have no regard for them.' He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant.

He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

Bless all his skills, O Lord, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Smite the loins of those who rise up against him; strike his foes till they rise no more."

About Benjamin he said:

Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.

About Joseph he said:

May the Lord bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh.

About Zebulun he said:

Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents.

They will summon peoples to the mountain and there offer sacrifices of righteousness; they will feast on the abundance of the seas, on the treasures hidden in the sand.

About Gad he said:

Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain! Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head.

He chose the best land for himself; the leader's portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the Lord’s righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel.

About Dan he said:

Dan is a lion's cub, springing out of Bashan.

About Naphtali he said:

Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake.

About Asher he said:

Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!'

So Israel will live in safety alone; Jacob's spring is secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew.

Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.

Deuteronomy 33

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Moses is about to pass away and will not be crossing the Jordan with Israel. He could have easily just went onto Mount Nebo and died but he didn’t. Instead, Moses gathered Israel for the last time and began to proclaim God’s blessings on them, collectively and by tribe.

As we look at these blessings on Israel, I think we can also see how we are equally blessed. And just as Moses was reminding Israel, we too need a reminder of how God imparts His goodness on those He cares for so dearly. Let’s look at some of the specific blessings mentioned in our scriptures:

1. God loves us. (“Surely it is You who love the people…)

Everything that God does for us, including correcting us, comes out of the love He has for us. And it was out of love that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that we might not perish but have everlasting life if we believe in Him. Truly, God wants the best for us and wants us to become the best we can be in Him.

2. We are in God’s hands. (“…all the holy ones are in Your hand”)

How often do we feel confused or lost or helpless? How often are we in need and have difficulty discerning how we might get help? How often do we forget to call on God when we need guidance or assistance? Friends, God has us all in His hands. He has a plan for each of us. We need only trust Him and allow His will to be done. He won’t lead us wrong. He won’t forsake us. He is Emmanuel…God with us…now and forever.

3. God grants us instruction. (“…and from You receive instruction”)

God had left Israel with His law and commandments. Not only had they heard them numerous times from Moses but they also had it in print after Moses wrote the law down and presented it to the priests to carry with the Ark of the Covenant. Israel would not travel and worship without God’s word.

We too have God’s word, only much more than Israel had. Nonetheless, His expectations are the same for us as Israel. We are to stay obedient to His word and will, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us toward righteousness and holiness….toward living like Jesus did in every way during every day.

4. God grants us rest. (“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”)

There have been many times in my life when I have felt overwhelmed by the weight of the world. Maybe you can relate? Life’s circumstances can indeed leave a person tired and weary… exhausted and on empty…often despaired and depressed.

Thank goodness that we have the Lord during these times. For we need only turn to Him and He is willing to help us through the tough times…to shield us all day long…granting us relief and release…leading us to a peace and rest that is beyond understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7)

5. God grants us the best gifts. (“…with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness”)

God doesn’t provide low quality blessings. No…He grants good and perfect gifts to His people. (James 1:17) We should ever remember that every good and perfect gift is from Him and we should always show Him our gratitude by using those good and perfect gifts to His glory.

6. God desires to help us. (“…who rides on the heavens to help you”)

We serve a caring, compassionate God who ever stands ready to assist us in our times of trouble. All we need to do is trust Him and believe that he can do all things. After all, He is God! May we all learn to let go and let God be the Lord of our lives, relinquishing our will for His. If we do so, we can always rest assured He will help us through anything we’re going through.

7. God is our Protector. (“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms”…”He will drive out your enemy before you”…”He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword.”)

Israel was about to enter a foreign land and come into conflict with the people within. Through what was to come, God had assured Israel over and over that He would be with them and would deliver them to victory. God was their protector and would continue to be so as long as Israel remained obedient…something we know they will fail to do because God has already told them (and us) so.

God stands ever ready to protect us as well, placing a covering over us as we walk through life and its daily dangers. What a blessing it is to have such a Great Protector! We need not fear because He is with us.

8. God saves us. (“Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?”)

As we look at the blessings in this early Old Testament passage, is it not awesome that the last blessing we come to is based on salvation. For there isn’t any greater blessing that God has given us than that.

Through the crucifixion and resurrection of His Son…our Savior, Jesus Christ…God opened the gates of heaven for everyone and he did it out of love. The only entry requirement was that a person had to believe in Jesus. (John 3:16) If they did, then they were assured to never perish but instead have eternal life. Thus, death is not the end for those who are in Christ Jesus but only the remarkable beginning of a new life free of all the world’s trappings and afflictions…a life where we will reside with God and Jesus every single day. There’s a reason this blessing is last because it’s the best one of all.

As we look at all these blessings, we realize the list is strong but not all inclusive. In fact, we could never have enough time or space to fully account for all the blessings God has granted. Given this, let us ever remember now and forever that we have no reason to sit around and complain about life because in truth, we are blessed beyond belief. And we can thank God for that! Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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