HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 43
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him, he brings good out of them. Paul couldn’t wait to see what good God would bring out
of his prison time. While in prison, Paul wrote many of the New Testament letters which
have brought millions to faith in Jesus. God is waiting for you to let him do the same in
your difficult situations.
What causes feelings of bitterness and resentment, and how can we more
effectively deal with them?
• G E NE SI S 4 :5 | This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.
Cain resented Abel because Abel’s sacrifice was accepted while his was not.
• L U K E 1 5 :2 8 | “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in.” (See note on page 939.)
Resentment can be an embittering form of self-righteousness.
• T I T U S 3 :5 | He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the
Holy Spirit.
When resentment is confessed as sin, we receive the grace and kindness of the Holy Spirit.
PROMISES FROM GOD
• I SA I A H 2 6 :3 | You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are
fixed on you!
Blessings involve both giving and receiving. Blessing others was a vital part of life in biblical times. To bless people meant many things—to praise them, to pray for them, and to
commit them to God’s care. It also meant to dedicate and challenge them to live forever
loyal to God. It was a call for abundance and prosperity for another. And it was also a way
of officially passing on the family inheritance to the oldest son. Wishes for a rich and abundant life were inherent in a blessing, although not always abundance in a material sense.
God was recognized as the ultimate source of the blessing, and the person blessed would
walk with the Lord and receive his benefits. To receive God’s blessing meant not only to
enjoy innumerable tangible gifts (life, joy, peace, abundance, children, home, reputation,
health, freedom, work, food, etc.) but in a much deeper way to be welcomed into a special relationship with him, a relationship to be affirmed and practiced. Part of this, in turn,
means being a blessing to others, a way of saying we have been a great help to others.
How can I experience God’s blessings?
• DE U T E R O NO MY 1 :3 5 -3 6 | “Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the
good land I swore to give your ancestors, except Caleb. . . . He will see this land because he
has followed the Lord.”
In Scripture we find a simple but profound principle: Obedience to God brings blessings
and disobedience to God brings misfortune. We must be careful not to think of these
blessings only in terms of material possessions. God’s greatest blessings are far more
valuable than money or things. They come in the form of joy, family, relationships, peace
of heart, spiritual gifts, and the confidence of eternal life.
What kinds of blessings does God send my way?
• DE U T E R O NO MY 2 8 :2 | “You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord
your God.”
• PSA L M 1 3 9 :1 7 -1 8 | How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be
numbered! I can’t even count them.
God’s blessings are too many to count or even mention. His blessings come to us every
day, in every conceivable form.
• A C T S 5 :4 1 | The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them
worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
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• T I T U S 1 :1 5 | Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure.