What If God Never Blessed You Again?

Today, I heard a song come on my Pandora that reminded me of a conversation I was recently apart of. The lyrics go like this . . .

"If all my world was swept away, would You be enough for me?

Would my beating heart still sing?

If I lost it all, would my hands stay lifted to the God who gives and takes away?"

And the song continues like this and more. It's really quite a provoking song if you genuinely look inside yourself for these answers. It's easy to sing along with songs like this, but do we really mean what we are saying? What really struck me today though, was how similar the questions in this song mimicked questions I was asked a little over a week ago.

In a small group setting, we were reflecting on this past season of lent and how our relationships with God had been impacted (or not); which led into a conversation of different ways and seasons that people relate to God.

We were then asked:

"What if God never blessed you again? Would what He has done in your life up to this point be enough?"

Initially, I was a little confused. I answered how I wanted to say yes of course, but I was having trouble fitting a god like that into my view of who I know God to be. I went on to say yes, because the truth of who He is and His saving grace is more than enough for my complete devotion and my life; but I reiterated how I just had trouble imagining the scenario, because the God I know would not withhold blessing from me just to prove a point.

Don't start thinking "but He did it to Job" ... Just bear with me a second.

This thought just sat at the forefront of my mind as the conversation continued...

Until someone was brave enough to be honest about how hard it would be to have a FAMILY MEMBER BRUTALLY MURDERED, or a CHILD KIDNAPPED, BEATEN, AND MOLESTED. 

That's when it all clicked for me.

We think of blessings as material things, protection, safety, prosperity,

security, success, money, comfort . . . and the list goes on.

BUT THAT'S NOT HOW OUR GOD DEFINES BLESSINGS!

Jesus defines a blessed person in a much different way:

MATTHEW 1:5-11

BLESSED are THE POOR IN SPIRIT; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

BLESSED are THOSE WHO MOURN; for they will be comforted

BLESSED are THE MEEK; for they will inherit the earth

BLESSED are THOSE WHO HUNGER & THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS; for they will be filled

BLESSED are THE MERCIFUL; for they shall be shown mercy

BLESSED are THE PURE IN HEART; for they will see God

BLESSED are THE PEACEMAKERS; for they will be called the sons of God

BLESSED are THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED because of righteousness; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN PEOPLE INSULT YOU, PERSECUTE YOU, AND FALSELY SAY ALL KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST YOU BECAUSE OF ME.

WOW! Look how Jesus defines a blessed person. 

Jesus doesn't say blessed are the ones who have the most things - in fact He says blessed are those who mourn (those who have lost something). Jesus doesn't say blessed are the happy people - He says blessed are those what are poor in spirit (who recognize their condition apart from God). Blessed are those who hunger & thirst after righteousness (who see the evil in this world, and experience turmoil over it). Jesus has a habit of taking ideas we have and flipping them on their heads. If the world voted on the most "blessed" person in the world, and Jesus showed us the most blessed person in the world - I bet those two people would be leading completely different lives.

Sure, I believe that God cares about our happiness and the little things in our lives because He is a personal God; but I believe He is much more concerned with the state of our hearts and our commitment to Him.

I can say from my own life, that my biggest blessings have come when I was in my deepest despair, when I had lost all hope...

I have never had a spouse brutally murdered, or a child kidnapped and abused - and by God's grace I pray that I never do. But I have had one of my brothers, and then my father commit suicide. So I want you to know that I can only write this blog about God's goodness because I have been the one to curse it. 

Some of the worst days of my life, are simultaneously my best. I can't quite explain how, other than God is so good that He has taken the tragedies in my life to reveal his glory. I am not saying that God MADE these tragedies in my life happen - that is really a conversation for another time, but I do have to believe that God at least allowed for these things to happen, knowing the final result (I am not the final result; merely a stop along the way - Jesus' return to usher in the Kingdom of God will be the final result). I can't explain to you all the mysteries of how God operates; all I know is what the bible says and what has been true in my own life.

How many times do we read and hear people talking about "being refined through the fire" and "consider it joy when we face trials of many kinds, for we know that the testing of our faith produces endurance . . . so that you may be lacking nothing." 

God is working through the tragedies; these are our blessings! 

There is a good chance I would not know the grace and love that Jesus has to offer had it not been for the crippling death of my brother. And I definitely would not have explored the truth of God and who He says to be had it not been for the heart wrenching death of my father.

So in conclusion, no I can not place my self in a position to think about God never blessing me again; because true blessings, like the ones Jesus speaks of, are what draw people near to God, they are how God's majesty, glory, and power are revealed, they are what make lost people found, they reveal and unlock the Kingdom of Heaven; which is what God is all about!

It's easy to have the right answer in small group...

But when you are honest with yourself; in the dead of night, and when you can't hear God's voice, and He gives no indication that He even heard your cry; would you still be faithful to God if you began to have a fate like Job did...?

If there was nothing left in your life other than your faith in God, is that enough for you? Do you really believe that the veil has been torn and God hears your every cry? Do you believe that God's plan for your life is greater than your own? Do you believe that being blessed doesn't necessarily mean you will be successful or happy or even safe in this life? Is your God big enough to cover even that?

"If you take it all, this life you've given, still my heart will sing to you."