Blessed Are the Blessable

The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.


—Psalm 18:20-24

THERE’S a progression as new believers: we begin with the positional truths of the Word before we move forward in the practical application of the Word. It’s often a matter of taking baby steps. The Bible reassures us that what has transpired in our hearts is real: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away . . . all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). We all begin the journey in the same position: being “in Christ,” complete in Him, and made new. But that’s only the beginning! As David transitions in our psalm today, we move with him through the meaning of the great positional truths that we believed when we were first saved into the application of those truths. In 2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 (which begins, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers”), Paul establishes the promises of God based solely on our position in Christ: God will live with us, walk with us; He will be our God; He will receive us as sons and daughters. Then comes the “there-fore”: “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the God.”

Everyone experiences God’s grace, but the blessings that God promises to believers are conditional. David, whom we saw spared from death from King Saul and others, and who had treated Saul with mercy, now states that his faith in God impacted his behavior and allowed him to live as a “blessable” man rather than as one under the disciplinary hand of God. Why? Because David had cherished God’s judgments and precepts even during very dark times, and God responded with blessings. God’s affection and eternal protection are always ours in Christ, but obedience is the key to maintaining our bless-ability. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you . . . ” (Lk 6:27-33). With God’s help, all things are possible. May we begin to apply these truths to our lives today—with the reward of becoming blessable because we have been a blessing.

Excerpt from “Beside Still Waters” now available on Amazon.

BARRY STAGNER

1 thought on “Blessed Are the Blessable”

  1. Baby steps for sure Barry.. I have to say nearly every single time when I’ve been in the tumultuous uncertain moment where I could easily allow my fleshly instincts to take control (perhaps even giving myself later the excuse of the tumultuous uncertain moment..) but have instead asked God to teach me something new in the emotional instant, nearly every time, I have received joyful blessings of the spiri;, what I call a kind of supernatural pat on the back of support. When I step out in darkness trusting God to light my steps in faith, to lift me to a higher place this time, and I do the uncomfortable risky thing, perhaps even the “recklessly” “foolishly” Godly thing, I almost always get direct and undeniably tangible manna from the heavens… Now sometimes I fall on my face but more times than not I do not.
    Even knowing God rewards me when I stretch myself like this I usually DONT stretch myself like like this… Its running maybe 50-50 with me ha! Go figure human nature! When I go the safe, insulated, comfortable way, well, its just Ground Hogs Day all over again!
    ANyhow I pray we all stretch ourselves more and more each day! Hey, and by the way thank you for all the awesome work you do!!!

    Cheers
    Darian

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