Devotions: Celebration of Blessing

I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

Ezekiel 34:25-27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

This prophecy was made to the Israelites in exile, a promise of physical restoration and blessing, but it also applies to us, a promise of spiritual restoration and blessing. When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sin and submit our lives to Him, we enter into a covenant of peace with God. We are no longer enemies or hostile to God. In Jesus’ death on the cross, He vanquished the enemies of God. They are still at large, but their power is broken and their time is limited. We are now safe, we no longer need to fear. Through Jesus’ righteousness, we are made a blessing to the world. God has promised to shower us with blessing. This does not mean that we will have everything we want and will never have a hard day in our lives. It does mean that God will help us deal with the problems that come, He will sustain us through everything, and give us the power and authority to fight our battles. He will bless us in ways we could never imagine, ways that will be far more beneficial to us than a new xbox or Mercedes. He will provide everything we need in this life and the next. We will have full proof that He is God. He will break our bondage to sin and deliver us from slavery to the world.

Today is “Shrove Tuesday”, the day before the beginning of Lent, the 40 days of preparation before Easter. It is a day to celebrate the blessings of God, to remember all He has done for and given to you. Celebrate the many blessings of God!