#blessing

Leviticus 26: 4-5, 9-10, 12-13

4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. 4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

9 “I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. 10 You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.

12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.

Questions for discussion: 

1. What is God’s outpouring in your life right now?

2. What are you thankful for?

Singleness

When you feel loved, hardship is easier. And pleasing your partner is to your advantage – because their happiness is your happiness. There is no doubt that if you are not one of the few people designed for a single lifestyle, having a partner can be a great comfort – though marriage has its own problems.

The single person does not have the higher purpose that the married person has in terms of a partner and speaking from personal experience, this can make motivation quite tough. Just saying your motivation is the Lord’s work does not always help! Working hard and enduring hardships can seem pointless when you’re single – I know! The most important thing for a single person to remember is the highest purpose of all – God – and to stay focused and work hard where they’re at, so that when opportunity arises, it’s ready to be embraced.

See singles as positive! Enjoy now and reach your potential! Many married people never have a chance to properly develop important characteristics as their stability and confidence becomes tied up in their partner early on. Meeting your perfect partner unprepared or too early is not desirable so single is the best time to develop character and confidence. This is the time to improve all areas of your life by effectively communicating with as many different as possible!

And last… rarely can someone delight in the Lord when their whole being desires a partner and it seems like a slap in the face to suggest they should. But it’s often the gripping desire that actually stops us from receiving what we want in life – nott just with relationships. And it’s never because God doesn’t want us to have good things. The old cliche is “you don’t give a Ferrari to a ten year old”. A certain knowledge and stability is required to drive the car and get the most from it. It’s the same with a job, and more importantly a partner. God doesn’t give his children gifts they’re not ready to handle. Instead he chooses to ride the storm with us, giving us only what we need. Although sometimes painful, it’s often when we give up the fight and our desires to him, that we begin to relax, stat looking outward, and generally without realizing it become more trusting, attractive, stable and ultimately ready for bigger things.

You will notice that the rest of the world gets its wants, when it wants – and God always makes an example of this – a price is always paid. Any kind of riches outside the kingdom of God goes bad on us eventually. There is no substitute for receiving things at the right time so we should hand our desires over to Him!

Source: Anonymous

How do you know if you are blessed?

If you own just one Bible… you are abundantly blessed. 1/3 of the world does not have access to even one.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness… you are more blessed than the 1,000,000 who will not survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation… you are blessed ahead of 500 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death… you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep… how blessed you are! You are richer then 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish somewhere… you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare, you are blessed.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful… you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them, or even touch them on the shoulder… you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch.

If you prayed yesterday and today, you are in the minority because you believe in God’s willingness to hear and answer prayer.

If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God… you are blessed! Your understanding of love comes from giving; you are part of a growing minority.

If you can read this message… you are mode blessed than over 2 billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.

If you can pass this along… you will be blessed for sharing God’s love and Jesus gifts with others.

Source: M&E Household Discussion Topic 4/28/03