As Long As You Are Glorified, by Sovereign Grace Music

A good song that fits well with the previous topic

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

Blessings Part Two

In light of all my thoughts about blessings, Laura Story’s new song Blessings has captured my interest.  Here are the lyrics:

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

Blessings Part One

Recently I have been pondering what it means to be blessed.  What it means to be blessed by God that is, and how God’s blessing is different from the typical American viewpoint of being blessed.  From the very beginning of creation God sought to bless His people; however the fall of man brought forth curses instead of blessings (Genesis 3).  Yet God reveals His heart to bless all people when He tells Abraham:

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

These verses reveal two things about God’s view of blessing.  The first thing it reveals is that when we are blessed our blessing is clearly portrayed to others.  God promises to make Abraham into “a great nation” and to make Abraham’s name great among all the peoples of the earth.  This leads us to the second point of God’s blessings.  God blesses us so that we can bring His blessing to others.  God says “you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you” and “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Our being blessed by God is not so that we can experience comfort and pleasure but so that we can spread God’s glory and splendor throughout the earth.

The Word Is Alive, by Casting Crowns