Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 NLT)
In this week’s devotions, we’re looking at words believers can use to encourage one another. Today we’re going to talk about this amazing sentence: God loves to bless His children.
One Greek word translated “blessed” in the New Testament is makarios, which means “blessed,” “happy,” or “fortunate.” It describes a kind of blessedness that isn’t dependent on favorable circumstances. A prominent use of the word appears in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–11.
Sometimes in our lives, our happiness is not self-contained. Rather, it’s contingent on good things happening. We think that if we could just get that raise at work, we would be happy. When something fun or exciting is happening, then we’re happy. But when we don’t get that raise at work or when we get some bad news, we’re not happy. In those circumstances, our happiness depends on good things happening.
But blessed is a different kind of word. Regardless of what is taking place circumstantially, you are blessed. That’s the idea of makarios.
God wants to bless you. Jesus said, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT).
If you’re a parent, this type of generosity probably resonates with you. You know the feeling of happiness that comes from giving your kids something special. The difference is that, as imperfect human parents, we can get caught up in the gift-giving and lose sight of the big picture. Sometimes we go overboard and spoil our children. Sometimes we give them things that are less than healthy.
That doesn’t happen with our perfect heavenly Father. He created us, so He knows our innermost workings. Jesus said that “your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8 NLT).
God blesses us with resources. He blesses us with spiritual gifts. He blesses us with an eternal future. He blesses us with friends and family members. He blesses us with opportunities. He blesses us with challenges. He blesses us with the tools to overcome those challenges. He blesses us with a sense of peace in the midst of those challenges. And that’s only the tip of the blessings iceberg!
Acknowledging the Lord’s amazing generosity creates a healthy spiritual cycle. The more we recognize how profoundly blessed we are, the more thankful we become. The more we recognize how generous God is, the more sincere our worship will be. And as we recognize His goodness, our hearts are drawn closer to Him.
The psalmist wrote, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1 NLT).
The New Testament author James wrote, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (James 4:8 NLT).
If you’re a child of God, then know this: God loves to bless His children. And here’s something else to remember: God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed. Isn’t that great to know?
Reflection question: How can you celebrate God’s blessings in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!
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