Tag: benefits

Pursue a Peaceful Life

Pursue a Peaceful Life

There are great spiritual benefits to pursuing a peaceful and peace-filled life.

Not only should we each pursue this way of life, according to the Bible, but we should endeavor to generate a peaceful atmosphere wherever we go.  Now, let’s look at what the Bible says to us on this subject.

Seek peace and pursue it. (Ps 34:14 ASV)

Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil; but to the counsellors of peace is joy.  (Pro 12:20 ASV)

Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit.  (Pro 12:12 NIV)

“Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.”  (Mt 5:9 CEB)

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  (Heb 12:14 ESV)

Those who advise a peaceful resolution to problems or issues receive the reward of joy.  That is a beautiful blessing to desire and to receive.

The basis of peace in negotiations generates a good harvest in all of its endeavors.  Peacemakers are happy because they are known as children of God.   

We’re instructed in God’s Word to work toward peace with everyone, as well to make every effort to live a holy life.  The result of obeying the Bible is that we are enabled to live a life that is rewarding, fulfilling, and blessed by God.  Praise the Lord!

Allow God’s Word to Lead You

Allow God’s Word to Lead You

If we obey the Bible, it will lead us and guide us in wisdom and truth.

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?  By living according to your word.  (Ps 119:9 NIV)

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  (Jos 1:7 NIV)

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  (2 Tim 2:22 NKJV)

From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to give you the wisdom you need for salvation through faith in the Messiah Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good action.  (2 Tim 3:15-17 ISV)

The Scripture passages that I have shared above demonstrate the wisdom of obeying the Bible, and the benefits that we receive from doing just that.

Obedience to the Bible will give us:

  • A righteous life,
  • Success in life,
  • A pure heart,
  • Wisdom, and
  • Training in righteousness.

God bless you and guide you.

Sweet, Kind Words

Sweet, Kind Words

What do you think about people who always speak kindly, and who treat others with the respect of using kind and gracious words?  Such people are rare, but we must surely admire and respect them. 

Pleasant [gracious] words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.  (Pro 16:24 NKJV, definition in brackets added)

A gentle response diverts anger, but a harsh statement incites fury.  (Pro 15:1 ISV)

A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word!  (Pro 15:23 NASB)

Wholesome speech is a tree of life, but dishonest talk breaks the spirit.  (Pro 15:4 CEB)

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  (Pro 31:26 ESV, emphasis added)

As we can see from these Bible passages, kind and pleasant words bless all those who hear them as well as those who speak them.  Good-humored, pleasing words and conversation can bring about unexpected benefits.  Here are just some of them:

  • Joy to the soul and good health for body, soul, and spirit (Pro 16:24)
  • Turning anger away (Pro 15:1)
  • Delight (Pro 15:23)
  • Lengthens our lives and enriches them (Pro 15:4)
  • Wisdom and kindness go hand-in-hand (Pro 31:26)

It is always a source of awe-inspired wonder to me that there is such a richness and depth to the teachings of the Word of God when we take time to study them and to understand them in their fullness. 

May your life be enriched, lengthened, and blessed by the kind and pleasant words that you speak to others, and which other people speak to you.  All glory to God!

Wisdom & Understanding

Wisdom & Understanding

In the Bible, we often see that wisdom and understanding are linked together strongly.

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens . . .  (Pro 3:19 NKJV)

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  (Pro 2:6 NIV)

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.  (Pro 4:7 NIV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  (Pro 9:10 NIV)

He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding.  (Jer 51:15 NKJV)

The Lord uses wisdom and understanding together in combination to establish and accomplish great and mighty things.  Because we are made in God’s image (Gen 9:6 NKJV) and since Christ is our example (1 Pet 2:21 NKJV), we too are strongly encouraged by the Word to gain wisdom and understanding. 

Wisdom means prudence, insight, perceptiveness, or good judgment. 

Understanding means empathy, kindness, or awareness.  In considering these two attributes, we can see how they would work together quite effectively and supportively.

Daily, we can expand and increase both of these characteristics in our lives by reading the Bible faithfully.  No matter what book of the Bible or what topic we may read, the Word of God is filled with the Spirit and the power of God—as well as God’s wisdom and understanding.  The more we fill our hearts and minds with the Word, the more that we will operate with the wisdom and understanding of God.

Be eager students of the Word and you will reap the blessed and life-changing benefits. 

Benefits of Our Salvation

Benefits of Our Salvation

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  (Ps 23:6)

We determine that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and that goodness and mercy shall follow us by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  With that one decision, we also decide to accept all of the benefits and blessings of our salvation—which are unlimited!

Of course, the Bible also informs us that there will be persecution for our faith for which we must be prepared.  (Mt 5:44; 10:23; Lk 21:12)  But we can and should expect both, especially God’s blessings.

The blessings of salvation are many, varied, and unlimited.  You truly need to study the Bible to locate all of the promised blessings, but I love to list at least some of them for people to meditate upon and to rejoice over!

  • God is our shield and surpassingly great reward (Gen 15:1)
  • The Lord is our healer (Ex 15:26)
  • His joy is our strength (Neh 8:10)
  • Jesus is our Open Heaven (Joh 1:51)
  • All of God’s promises to us are answered “Yes” and “So be it” through Jesus, our Lord (2 Cor. 1:20)
  • The Lord gives us a long life (Ps 91:16)
  • God gives us good things to eat and renews our youth (Ps 103:5)
  • God gives us an incorruptible inheritance (1 Pet 1:3-4)
  • God give us eternal life.  (Joh 3:15)

These are just a small handful of the benefits of trusting in God and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Meditate on how much God loves you, and how very much He wants to bless you every single day of your life!  Hallelujah!

Blank Checks

Blank Checks

Most people know what is meant by the term “blank check.”  It implies an invitation to use however many funds or resources we may need.  And these resources are supplied by the person or persons who own the checking account against which the blank check is written.

Our God has given us His Word which is full of testimonies and also promises of blessings.  Quite some years ago, while teaching a class, I realized that many Scriptural promises were exactly like a blank check!  I began referring to them as the “Blank Check Bible Verses.”  To encourage you to search out some of these precious promises on your own, I’m going to share a handful of them here with you!

But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.  (Ps 34:10b)  There’s no boundary on what good thing, but rather the opposite with this verse!

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God our salvation.  (Ps 68:19)  The word “benefits” can mean blessings, payments, grants, allowances, profits, etc., etc.  Notice that we’re “loaded” [filled; packed; heaped; stuffed; and even overwhelmed] with these benefits DAILY!  This is quite a blank check!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  (Mt 7:7)  Do you understand the blank check nature of this verse?

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  (Mt 19:26)  There is no limit to the word ‘ALL’ is there?

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will [His Word], He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  (1 John 5:14-15)  The words “anything” and “whatever” are two more words that do not imply limits of any kind.

To date, I have discovered 25 such verses in the Bible, and I urge you to continue hunting for more of these wonderful promises from the heart of our loving God.  Happy hunting!

Does Living for God Yield Benefits?

Does Living for God Yield Benefits?

Are there really benefits given to those of us who live for God and His Kingdom?  The Scriptures tell us that there are!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits . . . (Ps 103:2)

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation.  (Ps 68:19)

What might some of those benefits be?  

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.  (Ps 34:22)  This is God’s promise to redeem the essence and character of His servants, as well as that—as we trust in Him—we won’t be scorned, abused, or belittled.

. . . and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.  (Ps 37:19b)  In famine, the Lord says that He will quench our hunger.

. . . but the Lord upholds the righteous.  (Ps 37:17b)  . . . for the Lord upholds him with His hand.  (Ps 37:24b)  The Lord supports, defends, and encourages us.  Praise God! 

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite [crushed] spirit.  (Ps 34:18)  The Lord comforts and heals us when we’re brokenhearted or feel crushed in spirit.

All flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.  (Isa 49:26c)  The Lord will demonstrate to everyone that He is our God by showing His power on our behalf.

The Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints:  they are preserved forever . . . (Ps 37:28a)  God will never forsake us but He will save and sustain us always.

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.  (Ps 5:12)  God surrounds us with His blessings, esteem, kindness, and approval.  Thank You, Lord!

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain [protect; support; defend] you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. [shaken]  (Ps 55:22)  As we share our concerns, problems, and heartaches with the Lord, He’ll protect us and prevent us from getting pushed around (bullied) by the enemy or by our circumstances.

And these are only the benefits from the Old Testament!  There are more and BETTER benefits recorded in the New Testament.  (Heb 8:6)  Hallelujah!

Forget Not

Forget Not

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases . . . (Ps 103:2-3, emphasis added)

We, as God’s children, mustn’t forget all of the benefits and blessings of our salvation.  The verse above mentions two of these blessings:  forgiveness and healing.  These are supernatural benefits of our salvation.

This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.  (Ps 119:50, 52)  The Word of God gives us life—life in every facet and dimension of our lives.  He is the one who actually upholds and sustains our lives!  (Ps 3:5; 71:6; Isa 46:3b, 4)

There are so many blessings that God pours out upon us, that we can become oblivious and even numb to them!  We need to wake up and start noticing what God has done and is doing constantly for us.  Look around you and perceive your blessings.

And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.  (2 Kgs 17:38)  God does not forget the covenant that He made with man.  He wants us to remember it, too.  Not only that, but He says that He will NEVER forget us!  (Isa 49:15) Nor do we ever need to fear other gods or the gods of other people.

So we should find it pretty easy to REMEMBER and to meditate upon the fact that the Lord is:

  • Our reward (Gen 15:1)
  • Our Rock (Ps 18:2; 31:3; 71:3)
  • Our very present help in trouble (Ps 46:1)
  • Our open heaven (Joh 1:51)
  • Our Comfort (Ps 86:17; 2 Cor 1:3-4)
  • Our Deliverer (Ps 18:2; 40:17; 70:5)
  • Our Redeemer (Ps 19:14; 78:35; Pro 23:11)
  • Our Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6)

The list above is very abbreviated.  I could go on and on; and still not cover every blessing that the Lord bestows upon those who love and serve Him.  Remember these blessings and be thankful.