Poured Blessings

A few years ago when I was working....I seemed to often times be in the car when Chuck Swindoll and Tony Evans came on the radio. I seldom am good at listening to the radio...just forget to turn it on... but I would listen to Christian radio....because it seemed like there was always a lesson to chew on the rest of the day. Swindoll is on from 8 - 8:30 followed by Evans 8:30 - 9:00 on KHCB...105.7. I had an early morning dentist appt. this morning...and since that is usually my quiet time when I pray and write, I was nudged as I got in the car to tune into to my friends of the past. And sure enough there they were....Swindoll was talking as I went and Evans was talking when came back.

Tony Evans, if you are not familiar with him, is a black pastor whom I have adored and have even gone to hear in person...He speaks with simplicity, lots of humor and a down home approach to teaching us about Christ and his ways. I can not begin to restate his message today...every bit of it was great...but here are highlights that might be worth chewing on. .

The Old Testament is all about God's presence...and his blessings. Though the stories were varied...the theme remained constant..As long as God's people were following his ways...he would bless them...and in mighty ways...but when they turned from his ways...he would withdraw his presence....and therefore the flow of blessings would stop. Only in the Evans style...he said something like...."God blesses something that HE is gonna get something out of." You follow me..I'll bless you, you love me...I'll bless you, you glorify my name I'll bless you...etc. But if you choose to follow another...then God will back off...and let you wade through the chaos and wait until you come to grips that you do have a true and ever present need for Him and his leadership.

God is awesome...he is the only awesome one that there is...there is no other. Some might be great or good but never awesome...that is reserved just for God. He gave an old testament example of God's people pulling away and making earthly demands...they were tired of manna they wanted quail...well he gave them quail all right so much that it that they were not able to consume it all...and it began to stink....God will turn our blessings into curses if we do not line our blessings up with him and allow him the authority to do as he pleases in our lives for HIs purposes....with what he has given us.

Christ will bless anything that we give back unto him. It is about His glory. It is about our sacrifice...It is about trusting in something and someone we can not see...in exchange for holding on to what we can. If I want God's continued blessings to pour down upon me...then I have to be willing to submit to HIS authority...His ways...His teaching...in all things. I know that is an impossibility...but I also know the power and strength and grace that he has made available to me to pursue his rightful posture. When "I" make the personal effort to try to conform to the impossible....Christ makes it possible (in me) ...I have seen it time and time again....in how he guards my speech, directs my path, softens my approach, helps me to let HIS grace override my judgment etc. Because when I submit to HIM ....I am forfeiting my rights....and humbling myself before HIM.... in turn giving him an opportunity to display His glory!

2 Chronicles 34:27
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.

As long as we walk with God, God will walk with us...and when we stray...we must consider that it is us who removed ourselves from God ....not God who removed himself from us. We all want the blessings...we just many times don't want to follow His "right" path to get them.

Dear Lord, I have witnessed the blessings that you have poured out not only on me but to those that I love and to those who love you. Help us to stay in step with your way and to humble ourselves before you so that those blessings will continue to be poured out among us. And Lord I know this is on another note but I ask you to bless our nation and help us as a nation to turn away from wicked ways and seek you in decisions that are made and paths that are taken. Amen

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!