Friday, February 11, 2011

On Being Blessed

Isaiah 61:1-9 2
Timothy 3:1-17
There is an interesting connection between our reading from Isaiah today and that from 2 Timothy. In discussing what is to become of God’s people in the future the prophet says, “all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed” (Isaiah 61:9). This is a statement of promise pointing to a time of restoration and grace. And here’s what the writer of 2 Timothy says: “What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them” (2 Timothy 3:11). What does it mean to be blessed by God? Does it mean peace, with no pain or sorrow? Or does it mean something else altogether? Can it be found in this life, or is it reserved for the life to come?

One answer is to say that God’s blessing is best understood in the life of the one who is blessed. Paul certainly considered himself blessed by God yet he went through times of severe trial and hardship. Elsewhere we read how members of the early church would rejoice at being found worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. God’s blessing isn’t about a life of ease and luxury, it is about knowing that one is claimed by God and set apart for the work of the kingdom. As early as Abraham God also charged those whom God blessed to be a blessing to others. That understanding continues for us today. To be chosen by God is to be set aside for service as much as salvation, and when we grasp this we can begin to see ourselves for who we are: “people whom the Lord has blessed.”

So here’s a challenge for us all today. Let’s each take a moment to consider our lives, to reflect on what it means to be set apart by God for a task, to be in relationship with our Creator. And let’s thank God, even as we endure the pains of life, that we have this calling. For it is indeed a gift.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the blessings in our lives and to share them freely with others that all may know your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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