Blessed.
If I were to sum up how I’ve felt over the past few days in just one word, that would probably be the one. Just…incredibly blessed. I’ve already had an action packed summer, between working at Harvest as an intern and connecting with friends and family before going back to school in Lynchburg, Virginia. But a few very special things have happened to me of late that have just caused me to go “Wow, thank you God!”
I hope that your summer has been filled with plenty of blessings, too. Be they special times with your family while on vacation, or just finding time to relax and rest up before the fall, there are plenty of blessings that come from our heavenly Father each and every day. It’s important to recognize, too, that God often uses other people to pass on his blessings to us. Personally, I can think of several people that helped me feel God’s deep love and care for me through the ways that they were able to bless me this week. Their generosity, be it through their finances, time, or energy, was used tremendously by God to fill my heart with joy for who he is, how he loves me, and how he continues to bless me.
But my challenge to you today is this: Consider the blessings that are happening in your life right now, and think and pray about the ways that God wants to use you to bless others. This was something that God challenged me on this week big time, and let me tell you, the payoff was enormous. After being able to give generously to someone else through a series of circumstances, my heart instantly was filled with joy, knowing that God had just used me to bless another. I say this, not to boast in my giving, but instead to encourage you as a testimony of the amazing joy that comes from a life of generosity. As I mentioned before, generosity doesn’t have to come through money. Your willingness to just spend time with someone or help them through a problem can be used by God to bless them in a big way and, in turn, bless you as well. In Proverbs 3:9-10, it says,
“Honor the LORD with your wealth, and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
That verse pretty much says it all. God gives generously to those who give generously. Think about that, pray about that, and then act upon that this week.
God bless.