Receive

A few months ago I was flipping through the channels and stopped to watch a TV evangelist for a couple of minutes. She was talking about receiving blessings. We are really good about asking for blessings, but we are not very good at receiving them. We tend to believe that we don't deserve them. So when the blessings come we don't declare them, we don't accept them, we feel that we are not worthy.

There's a guy that I run into from time to time and when I ask him "How ya doin?" his answer is always the same, "Better than I deserve". Which sounds like he feels that God is blessing him, which is true. But every time he says it I cringe. Without realizing it he is saying that God is blessing him but he doesn't deserve those blessings. He does deserve them. He has gone through some pretty tough times in his life, but he made the decision to follow Christ and change his life around. He prays, he volunteers, he's a good father, he's a good man. He does deserve God's blessings (victories), but his words say that he isn't worthy of them.

When God blesses us we need to joyfully receive those blessing. If we don't it's like getting a great birthday present from a loved one, but telling them we don't want it because we don't deserve it. We are denying them their joy.

What would happen today if we believed that we do deserve God's blessings (victories)? What would happen today if we joyfully received those blessings? What would happen today if we got down on our knees every night and thanked God for His love and declared the victories of the day? What would happen today if we stopped denying God His joy?

What would happen today...?

Psalm 21:1-7

¹ The king rejoices in your strength, LORD.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!

² You have granted him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
³ You came to greet him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴ He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.
⁵ Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
⁶ Surely you have granted him unending blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.

Cleansed

Pictured above is the clean water discharge into the St. Joseph River at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Mishawaka Indiana. This plant processes an average of 20 million gallons per day of wastewater (raw sewage) into water that is clean enough to comply with state and federal regulations for discharge into a delicate ecosystem such as the river. This 9 step process is carefully checked and monitored with backup systems to prevent pollution from getting into the river. Pre-grown bacteria and chemicals are added to the wastewater to convert volatile solids into simple organic compounds, and kill harmful bacteria. The bio-solids (sludge) are removed and sent to farmlands to be used as safe (green) fertilizer. Methane gas, a byproduct of the process, is captured and burned in the plants heating system. The water that comes into this plant is unusable, unsafe, and has to be cleansed by the process in order for it to be sent back into the environment where it can give life again.

Our lives are much like the wastewater. There are things in our lives that make us unusable, and unsafe, things that block us from being who God made us to be. Resentments, prejudice, adultery, fear, false idols, stealing, cheating, indifference, lies, pornography, the list goes on and on. But that can all be changed, that can all be forgiven, that can all be cleansed by the One who loves us. When we go to the Father and ask for His help, His Love, His forgiveness we are cleansed. He puts us through a process, He adds Love and understanding, to convert or shortcomings into attributes, He takes away our sins so we can help others in need through our experience, strength and hope. He cleanses us so we can go out into the world and spread the Word to those who need life again.

What would happen today if we went to the Father and asked for forgiveness? What would happen today if we let Him fill us with His love? What would happen today if we let Him cleanse us? What would happen today if we went into the world and told everyone how God had given us new life?

What would happen today...?

Isaiah 1:18

...Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

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