A thought by Mark Batterson from his
book, Double Blessing (p. 2). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle
Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
Now God's blessing can be very confusing to understand.
Mark continues this thought by saying, “It’s a decision to make,
a habit to form, and a mindset to establish.”
Earlier he says, “Blessing is God’s default setting—His first and
foremost reflex. If you don’t believe that, you’ll doubt the goodness of God.
And if you second-guess the goodness of God, you’ll forfeit His blessing. God
wants to bless you beyond your ability to ask or imagine. There. I said it. And
I believe it. The question is, do you?”
Mark later says, “I’m not sure what your earliest memory is, good
or bad. But for many, memories of their earthly father do not mirror Adam’s
experience. In fact, you may feel cursed rather than blessed by your family of
origin. If that’s true, if that’s you, it can be difficult to conceive of a
heavenly Father whose deepest desire is to bless you. There might even be a
generational curse that needs to be broken. But believe it or not, God has
blessings for you in categories you cannot even conceive of. If you’re going to
live the happy, healthy, and holy life God has called you to, you’ve got to get
that in your gut. God is in the blessing business! And as His children,
blessing is our birthright.”
He goes on, “Now, I know what you may be thinking. Am I promising
health, wealth, and prosperity? The answer to that is an unequivocal no! God
promises us something so much better than physical health or material wealth.
Plus, some of God’s greatest blessings are blessings in disguise.
“The blessing of God is not an immunity card against pain and
suffering. Jesus said point blank, ‘In this world you will have trouble.’ (John
16:33) He Himself endured far more than His fair share of earthly troubles,
including the Cross! What makes us think we can become like Jesus without going
through some of the same struggles He did? But take note—this promise doesn’t
end with ‘trouble.’ Don’t make the mistake of putting a period where God puts a
comma! In the same breath, Jesus declared, ‘But take heart! I have overcome the
world.’ (John 16:33) There are sacrifices to be made—no doubt. There is
suffering to endure—no question. But there is a blessing on the other side, a
double blessing!”
Mark then says, “I had better add this at the outset: God doesn’t
bless disobedience! God doesn’t bless pride or greed or laziness either! We’ve
got to position ourselves for God’s blessing, and that’s what this book is all
about. But make no mistake about it—God has postured Himself to bless you from
the very beginning.”
And that is good news, isn’t it?
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