I have received many blessings. Recently at my work the manager gave all the employees a gift card for keeping the store open during a storm and the power outage that followed. Many employees sacrificed to be there, we were not motivated by reward but the opportunity to do what was right- the community needed the store to be open. I received a gift card too; it was wonderful to use it for a week or so to buy lunch items I would not have been able to afford otherwise. I am grateful for the blessing of the gift card.
The other day my family was at a restaurant. We almost never go to restaurants because a family of six is very expensive and we don't have that kind of money. However, my son was home from college so seemed like we should, even if it meant things would be a tight later on. A stranger came up to us and said, "Here take this, we can't use it." He gave my wife a coupon for $5.00 off- another little blessing for which we are thankful.
At work our lunch times are variable, we go to lunch when there is time and enough associates to cover the registers. We never know if there will be anyone in the lunch room. Today in the lunch room was a friend who had been to a gourmet bakery twenty miles away and had extra cupcakes to share. I love a good chocolate cupcake! He set one down before me and said, "Here try this." It was delicious! It was another little blessing that I am thankful for.
Why does God give blessings and how do we receive them. God is sovereign and he may choose to bless or not, we cannot buy or earn his blessings. God longs to and delights in blessing us, but we often quench His Spirit by disobedience to principles given in scripture. The blessings are in store, God has already set them aside, like on reserve for us, and we need to stop denying them by our disobedience. When we obey God he delights to release his blessings.
I have resolved to make more efforts to obey scripture especially in giving tithes, service, and prayer; I feel these are areas that I was not fully obeying the Lord's teaching. Since I have begun to give fuller obedience I feel I have greater blessings.
Each of us must consider what in our lives that are keeping blessing out and resolve prayerfully to find God's will in that area of life and obey.
