BE BLESSED TODAY

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In Christ, Mark

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

How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young — a place near Your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You.

Psalm 84:1-4

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

Today, we will gather together to share love and food and fellowship as we celebrate Thanksgiving. We will enter into dwelling places filled with the smell of freshly prepared food and the sounds of family talking about current and past times. It’s always a great atmosphere that rarely repeats itself any other time during the year.

As we think about the matter of entering dwelling places and entering into a sense of praise and thanksgiving, we have the opening verses of the 84th Psalm to bless us today. In it the psalmist goes well beyond any joy we find in entering earthly dwelling places, instead focusing on the amazing experience we have now and will have in the future in dwelling with God.

The reason I say we have now is that those who have placed their belief and trust in Jesus Christ have received the Holy Spirit within. In other words, the Lord dwells within us through His Holy Spirit. It would be perfect if it weren’t for our humanly flesh (read sin) and its desires which always are in direct contradiction with the desires of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the scriptures clearly depict that there is a war raging within all of us between the flesh and the Spirit.

I think it’s that foretaste of what’s to come by experiencing the Holy Spirit in the here and now that leads us to long for more, to long for a dwelling place greater than this world, a dwelling place where we can live with the Lord forever free from sin and pain and suffering and temptation and despair. The psalmist expressed his desire for this future perfect dwelling place by saying, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” It’s an amazing outpouring of anticipation for something better than this world brings.

Do we live with this sense of anticipation? Do we live like we know we have an amazing eternal future awaiting us through Christ Jesus as we one day receive our portion of the inheritance gained through accepting salvation? Can other see the hope we have in us through the way we live and express ourselves?

Friends, we are blessed today and we will be blessed forevermore through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has already won the victory over Satan and death and the grave. Because of Jesus, we are victorious already when we receive Him as our Savior. It’s time we live that way, showing and telling others how blessed we are to have God dwelling in us now while looking forward with eager anticipation to the day when we will enter into His lovely dwelling place forever.

If you have received salvation through Jesus, look within and give thanks that He’s there today. And if you don’t know Jesus, why not receive Him into your heart this Thanksgiving? He’s waiting to dwell within you and show you a love and peace and joy and hope you’ve never dreamed possible. Blessed are those who He dwells within. Be blessed today.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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

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