The Daniel Fast

The Rainbow Pen!

 

Keeping Our Blessings

 

 

This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven..... It is not kept beyond the sea..... No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. (Deuteronomy 30: 11-16 CEV).

Jesus discusses the blessings we have in life and lifestyle, in the fifth chapter of Matthew. The eight attitudes of blessing, the Beatitudes, build one upon another. These are the ideal for every Christian lifestyle! God blesses those who depend only on Him and those who grieve their spiritual status; the humble and the hungry for righteousness; the merciful and pure in heart; the peacemakers and the persecuted; and so on.

First, God blesses those who depend only on Him; those who are poor in spirit and realize their need for him. When they’re at the end of their rope, there is less of them and more of God and His rule. They'll realize their spiritual poverty and call upon Him for help. And God Almighty will bless them for their dependence on Him. Thus those that are poor in spirit belong to the Kingdom of Heaven! To have poverty of spirit means to be completely empty and open to the Word of God. When we're an empty cup and devoid of pride, we're humble. Humility is the realization that all your gifts and blessings come from the grace of God. For pride brings anger and the seeking of revenge, especially when one is offended. If every man were humble and poor in spirit, there would be no war!
Second, God blesses those who mourn or grieve. They’re blessed when they feel they've lost what is most dear to them. Only then can they be embraced by the One most dear to them. And they'll be comforted. They'll find comfort! If we're humble and appreciate that all of our gifts and blessings come from God, we grow in love and gratitude for Jesus Christ our Savior. But this can only produce mourning and regret over our own sins and the sins of this world, for we've hurt the One who has been so good to us. One also mourns for the suffering of others. When one contemplates that we were made in the image and likeness of God and lived in Paradise, and compare that to our present state after the Fall, one can only mourn our present condition. But we'll be comforted, by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, and hopefully one day in the Kingdom of Heaven. Mourning in this context is called a blessing, because mourning our fallen nature creates in us a desire to improve ourselves and to do what is right!

Third, God blesses those who are humble or meek. They’re blessed when they’re content with just who they are - no more, no less. That’s the moment they find themselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. The Earth will belong to them and they'll inherit the whole Earth!  A humble person becomes meek, or becomes gentle and kind, and exhibits a docility of spirit, even in the face of adversity and hardship. Humility brings an openness and an inner peace, allowing one to do the will of God. He who humbles himself is able to accept our frail nature, to repent, and to allow the grace of God to lead us to conversion.  It is pride, the opposite of humility, that brings misery. A person that is meek is one that exhibits self-control. Let us be meek in the face of the Lord, and not resist but be obedient to Him. Obedience and submission to the will of God are certainly not in vogue these days, but they'll bring one peace in this world and in the next. Fourth, God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness. They’re blessed when they’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal they’ll ever eat.God blesses those people who want to obey Him more than to eat or drink. They'll be given what they want and they'll be satisfied! A continuous desire for justice and moral perfection will lead one to a fulfillment of that desire - a transition and conversion to holiness. This is true for all the virtues - if you hunger and thirst for temperance, you'll head towards the goal you've in mind. We need the gifts of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Beatitudes. For example, one must have the gift of fortitude so one may be courageous in seeking justice.

 
Fifth, God blesses those who are merciful. They’re blessed when they care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ they find themselves cared for. They show mercy to others. They'll be shown mercy. And God will show mercy to them. Mercy is the loving disposition towards those who suffer distress. Love, compassion, and forgiveness towards one's neighbor will bring peace in our relationships. As we're merciful to others, so our Heavenly Father will be merciful with us! Jesus reminds us that whatever "you did to the least of my brethren, you did it to Me." There are various ways to be merciful to neighbors, as well as be obedient in faith to Christ our Savior. Let us forgive others as we expect God Almighty to forgive us. Sixth, God blesses those whose hearts are pure. They’re blessed when they get their inside world - mind and heart - put right. They're blessed whose thoughts are pure. Then they can see God in the outside world. They'll see God Almighty! The Scriptures say that no one can see God here on Earth! Jesus said no one else but Him had seen God the Father. But Jesus says the pure of heart shall see God! To be pure of heart means to be free of all selfish intentions and self-seeking desires. What a beautiful goal! How many times have any of us performed an act perfectly free of any personal gain? Such an act is pure love. An act of pure and selfless giving brings happiness to all.

 

Seventh, God blesses those who work for peace, the peacemakers. They’re blessed when they can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when they discover who they really are, and their place in God’s family. They'll be called God’s children. Peacemakers not only live peaceful lives but they also try to bring peace and friendship to others, and to preserve peace between God and man. A peacemaker brings peace to another; but one can't give another what one doesn't possess oneself. Hence the Lord wants us first to be ourselves filled with the blessings of peace and then to communicate it to those who have need of it. By imitating God's love of man, the peacemakers become children of God. And eighth, God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right. Their commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives them even deeper into God’s Kingdom. For the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Jesus said many times that those who follow Him will be persecuted. But the Lord promised that  those that suffer for His sake will be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven! Let us declare the Aaronic blessing daily over our children and family saying, "The Lord bless you and protect you. The Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. The Lord show you His favor and give you His peace."