Category Archives: Blessing

Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Death, Favor, Inheritance, Portion, Scripture

HIS PORTION

ZECHARIAH 2:12

“And the LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

When my dad died, my three siblings and I received a portion of his inheritance. It was divided four ways – each getting an equal share. My dad was not a rich man, but he left each of us quite a blessing. The inheritance was nice, but I had much rather kept my dad around for many more years.

The angel who is talking to Zechariah continues on in verse 12 where he tells him that the LORD has chosen Judah as His portion. What does that mean? The Hebrew word used there means just that. It means “part,” or “portion,” or inheritance. Does God need an inheritance? I don’t think so. Let’s just stick with “portion.” The angel is saying Judah/Jerusalem belong to Him. God protects what is His.

APPLICATION

I love what Psalm 73:26 says. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” The Hebrew word for “portion” here is the same word used in Zechariah 2:12. We are claiming God as our inheritance, our portion. But that requires a little event to happen. Let me explain.

Just like I could not inherit my part of my dad’s estate until he died, I could not inherit my inheritance in Christ until He died on that cross. And conversely, I have to die to inherit it. Weird, huh? Not really. I have to give up who I was before to become what I will be in Him. My old self is dead. My new self lives on in Jesus.

Wow! If you think too hard about this, your mind will explode. I have learned to just accept this on faith. He is my portion. He is what I am living and dying for. Nothing else is as important. One day I will see His face. One day I will become the possessor of what He has promised me. Remember, in John 14:2 He said He was going to prepare a place for us. Boy, I can’t wait to see my room!

Father, I know I am Your portion, but You are my portion as well. All I have belongs to you, and all You have belongs to me.

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Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Encouragement, Filled, Oveflowing, Promises, Scripture

OVERFLOWING

ZECHARIAH 2:4

“And he said to him, ‘Run, speak to that young man there, saying, “Jerusalem will be inhabited as open country because of the multitude of people and cattle within it.”’”

I remember years ago attending a church that was busting at the seams. It had to change to multiple services on Sunday and still had to bring extra chairs into the sanctuary to give everyone a seat. We needed to knock down the walls to open up the area for more seats but couldn’t. What a fun time that was. How exciting to be part of such growth.

The angel gives Zechariah a message about Jerusalem. He tells him that it is going to be so populated that there won’t be a need for walls. The people and cattle are going to spill over the whole area. After years of exile and returning to a diminished number in the land, this was exciting news. The Lord is promising to repopulate the nation to overflowing.

APPLICATION

I have this song going through my mind right now that says, “And now I’m filled to overflowing. I don’t mind the whole world knowing. Yes, I’m filled to overflowing with His soul-supplying, satisfying love.” Gary McSpadden sang that song back in 1979. I loved his music.

Doesn’t God fill us to overflowing with His love? You have been filled to overflowing with His Holy Spirit. As you study His Word, it fills your heart and mind to overflowing. Colossians 2:7 tells us that we are also overflowing with gratitude. “…having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”

I personally like 2 Corinthians 1:5. In the CSV it reads, “For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” Sufferings? Really? Yes, but they are in order for us to receive His comfort so that we in turn can overflow that comfort to others. What a beautiful concept. We are allowed to suffer to receive God’s comfort so that we can comfort others who are suffering. Will you overflow today in some way?

Lord, I’m filled to overflowing. I don’t mind the whole world knowing. I’m filled to overflowing with Your soul-supplying, satisfying love

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Bible, Blessing, Filled, Promises, Scripture

FILLED TO OVERFLOWING

ZECHARIAH 1:17

“Again, proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”’”

I remember a fishing trip I took with my dad one time to a local fishing hole. This little pond was full of brim (which is a small panfish). Man, that day we tore them up. My dad had a wire mesh fishing backet that he hung over the side of the boat. It had a flip down lid so all you had to do was push down on the lid and drop the fish in the basket. We caught so many we couldn’t push the lid down anymore. That basket was filled to overflowing.

After all the suffering, after all the judgment and punishment, after all the days in exile, God was restoring Israel. He promised to fill the cities again. “My cities will again overflow with prosperity.” He also said He would comfort and choose them. I just love that. Promises made and promises kept. God always keeps His promises. You know that, right?

APPLICATION

I bet you have examples of times the Lord has filled your coffers to overflowing. That’s why I don’t have a problem asking for the Lord to meet a need. I know His storehouse is filled to overflowing. He wants to meet our needs (and maybe even some of our wants). Philippians 4:19 tells us so. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

One of the things I have to do as a missionary is ask people to partner with us financially. I have realized that by asking them, I am giving them an opportunity to be a blessing to us and also be blessed by the Lord. I have some friends in ministry who have a real problem asking for financial support. They know they need to, but it can be awkward. That’s true. But blessings are waiting.

Let me let you in on a little secret. Are you listening? I am asking God for two million dollars in 2023 for the ministry I serve with – Every Man A Warrior (www.everymanawarrior.com). God is changing men’s lives around the world through the skills we teach. If you want to be a part of that, go to our site and give right there. I want you to be blessed through the overflowing God has given you. Be blessed.

You are the provider of our abundance, Lord. You truly fill us to overflowing.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Confession, Consequences, Decisions, God's Will, Scripture

TAKING IT TOO FAR

ZECHARIAH 1:15

“‘But I am very angry with the nations who are carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.’”

As a parent, I had the responsibility to discipline my children. I had one rule for spanking – only for willful disobedience. You may disagree, but I believe the appropriate use of spanking can be helpful in rearing our children. My children always knew why they were receiving that discipline and were prayed over afterwards. There is the danger of going too far with this, though.

That’s exactly what the Lord was referring to in today’s verse. He had used the other nations to discipline his children. They were the tool God used to administer His judgment. But some of these nations went too far and tried to annihilate His chosen children. He says he was “very angry with the nations” that did this. They “furthered the disaster,” which was never God’s intention.

APPLICATION

We can take things too far, whether it be a good thing or a bad thing. Too much exercise can be bad for your health (at least that’s my excuse, lol). Too much sugar is definitely not good for you. But can you get too much of God? I don’t think so, but the downside of that is His light exposes our sins. Psalm 90:8 says that. “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.”

Before you say anything, let me explain something. Getting too close to God may not feel good at the moment, but it is certainly what is best for us. Those sins that are exposed need to be exposed. Psalm 10:9 says, “One who walks in integrity walks securely, but one who perverts his ways will be found out.” So, is God taking it too far? I don’t think so.

I have to admit that I have been guilty of taking things too far at times. One example would be watching College football (American football for all my non-U.S. followers). I could watch it all day on Saturday. I had to make a decision to limit that to my favorite team’s game. We can take things too far, can’t we? Ask the Lord if you are taking Him too far. I bet He says no.

Father God, I want to be in Your presence, even though I know it will drive me to my knees in repentance.

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Angels, Bible, Blessing, Caregiver, God's Will, Guard, Protection, Scripture

ON PATROL

“And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, ‘These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’”

ZECHARIAH 1:10

I was just talking to a fellow brother in Christ who serves as a deputy in Wyoming. He shared that the county where he serves is very large. He could drive an hour west, east or north and still be in the county. His department has to cover that area, so they are on patrol a lot. Much of the area is sparsely populated, but they still require their services.

I wondered about that when I read verse 10 today. “The man” standing under the myrtle trees tells Zedekiah that the ones he asked about were on duty for the Lord. They were sent to patrol the earth. Their roles were not to deliver any messages to the people, only to patrol and report back to their superiors in the angelic realm.

APPLICATION

You may not believe in guardian angels, but Scripture teaches that in several places, Zedekiah 1:10 being one of them. These angels in today’s verse were watching over the people and then reporting back to heaven. Hebrews 1:14 tells us, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”

How about Matthew 18:10? “‘See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.’” That is probably my favorite since it is from the very mouth of Jesus. God is watching over us and uses His angelic forces to do so.

I have never seen an angel, that I know of (except for my sweet wife). But I am certain I have entertained some without knowing (Hebrews 13:2). Probably with all my travels around the globe, my guardian angel has had to work overtime, covering different time zones on different continents. Notice to my angel – I will traveling again soon so get your wings tuned up.

Lord, thank You for covering me with Your angels. I know I am safely guarded and protected according to Your will.

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Asking, Bible, Blessing, Change, Courage, Direction, Following, Future, God's Will, Scripture

FROM NOW ON

HAGGAI 2:19

“‘Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”

“From now on” hints at a change. Something is about to happen that will change your circumstance or maybe even your life. When my children left home, they faced some “from now ons.” They no longer were protected under my roof. They were either married with a new family or in a new city with a career. Some “from now ons” are scary while others are exciting. Let’s look at the one described in verse 19 today.

What starts out as a continuation of the description of their suffering due to their disobedience ends with a “from now on.” Look at it. The last sentence says, “Yet from this day on I will bless you.” The literal translation is “From this day I will bless.” Things were changing. God was returning His blessing on His children. Don’t you know a shout went up when they heard that news? After years of suffering, God was going to rain down His blessings on them again.

APPLICATION

Have you been in a period of suffering? Take heart, friends. God has not forgotten you. His “from now ons” still happen today. He can change the trajectory of your life with one flick of His little finger. He has certainly done that in my life on a number of occasions. Moving to a new ministry or meeting that certain person can make a new “from now on” happen.

Are you praying for a “from now on” moment? Stop and pray for God’s perfect will in your life. I am reminded of the passage in James. James 4:13-15 says, “13 Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” 

“From now on” in the life of the believer can mean many different things. But one thing is for sure – from now on the Lord will be with us. From now on His mercies are new. From now on Jesus is interceding for us. From now on…

From now on, Lord, I will pray that Your will be done in my life so that I can learn to trust You more.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Caregiver, Contentment, Gifts, Hunger, Provision, Scripture

ONLY HALF

HAGGAI 2:16

“from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty.”

I have been blessed through my years in that I can say I have never gone hungry. Oh, I thought I was starving a few times, but I was really just whiny about not eating when I wanted. There’s a difference in being hungry and truly starving. Not having enough to provide yourself or your family is a real issue in many parts of our world today. Be grateful if you are like me and are blessed with more than you need.

God was reminding the people of Israel to continue to think back to the days when they didn’t have enough. Grain was short on supply, as well as the fruit of the vine to make wine. Those were days of judgment when they suffered because of their disobedience. Now, they were living in relative ease, but they needed to remember where they had been and what God had done for them.

APPLICATION

Maybe that’s you. Do you need to remember where you were and where God has brought you? We seem to forget so quickly, don’t we. In the middle of thanking the Philippians for sending him a gift, Paul says this in Philippians 4:11-12. “11 Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

Paul reflected back to the lean years. He shared how God had taught him to be thankful in whatever situation he found himself. Boy, we could learn a lot from Paul, couldn’t we? But I love the next verse. Paul reveals the secret to this. It’s in verse 13. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” That is the key. It is Christ in me. It is Christ in you.

When I think back to my “lean” years, I can pinpoint specific events that caused my faith to leap forward. Times when all I could do is trust in His sovereign will helped me grow. Was it fun? Nope. Did I struggle through it? Yep. But looking back I can see the fingerprints of God all over. Will you join me in trying to look closer for God’s fingerprints today? They are there. We just have to look.

Father, I am eternally grateful for Your bountiful provisions. The world may see them as meager, but I know You are giving me exactly what I need.

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Bible, Blessing, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Obedience, Offering, Sacrifice, Scripture

QUESTION NUMBER ONE

HAGGAI 2:12

“‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, ‘No.’”

Have you ever wondered what makes something holy? We have the Holy Bible (that one is understandable). We have holy water (which is used by some). We even have holy smoke, lol. A question is poised by the Lord to the priests about how things become holy. This may seem like a foreign concept for us today. We’ll dig into that a little further in a minute.

In today’s verse the priests are asked if a certain action would cause something to be holy. Can meat, that has been blessed by the priests, transfer holiness from it to another object if it touches it? You can read about this transfer of holiness in Exodus 29:37 and Leviticus 6:27, 29; 7:6. It was the meat given to the priests as part of their provisions. This meat was a portion of the meat given by the people for sacrifice. This meat belonged to the Lord.

APPLICATION

Ahh! So, there it is! That is what makes something holy. We have the answer to the question. Holiness is only transferrable by the Lord. He makes something or someone holy. There is nothing we can do on purpose or accidentally that can confer holiness. Our holiness cannot be passed on. Each person must become holy on their own through the blood of Jesus.

You see that meat that was holy was only holy because it was part of the offering to God, a blood sacrifice. We are made holy through the blood of the Lamb. We are made more like Him (more holy) by surrendering more and more of ourselves on that altar of sacrifice. As we die to our flesh each day, the Lord allows us to experience more and more of His holiness.

Holiness is not something to be grabbed and obtained through a touch. Holiness comes through righteousness given to us by Jesus. Do you long to live holy? Do you want to be known as someone who lives holy? Then lay your life on that altar. Die to your will and live according to His will. Holiness will be poured upon you through His Spirit.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty…Only Thou art holy
There is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love and purity

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Bible, Blessing, Gifts, Giving, Offering, Scripture

NOTHING TO GOD

HAGGAI 2:8

“‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of armies.”

What do you have so much of that you consider it worthless or of no value? For me, it’s socks. Yep, I bet I have 30 pair. Why? I don’t know. Some I only wear when it’s cold. Others, the short white or black ones, are worn when it’s warmer and with tennis shoes. I like my socks and probably would not want to give any up, but they are a valueless thing in my drawer.

God is telling the people in Haggai 2:8 that He is not concerned with silver or gold being a part of the temple they are repairing. Perhaps the older people were upset because Solomon’s temple had been covered with gold. They may have been wondering how they were going to compete with that. God is saying He does not need that. He owns it all anyway.

APPLICATION

God tells us in Psalm 50:10-12, “10 ‘For every animal of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 “I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and everything it contains.’”

God doesn’t need our offerings. He does not depend on our wealth to exist. Like He said, He owns it all. That does not excuse us from giving, though. We should give of our blessings. God gives it to us through whatever source He chooses, and we should give it back to Him. But God doesn’t depend on it.

Giving should be a joy for us, right? The Word tells us that in 2 Corinthians where Paul says God loves a cheerful giver. Are you a cheerful giver? You should be. Everything you give to God belonged to Him first. He is the creator of all. Remember – don’t give because someone tells you to. Give to honor the One who has given so much for you.

Thank You, Lord, for the gifts You give to me. May my offerings back to You be a reflection of that gratitude.

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Blessing, Consequences, Dependence, God's Will, Obedience, Scripture, Thanksgiving

WITHHOLDINGS

HAGGAI 1:10

“‘Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.’”

It’s that time of year again in the U.S. – tax time. Every year about this time, people are preparing to file their federal income tax returns. Most people have tax withheld from their salary during the year to hopefully not have to pay any additional tax. A little at a time is not so painful, but when you have to write that big check on a quarterly basis or at the end of the year, that “withholding” hurts.

The people of Israel were experiencing a different kind of withholding. There was no dew or rain which meant there was no produce, no harvest. God was withholding this from them because of their rebellion and disobedience. It was all to get their attention, to get them to repent and return to Him. When God withholds anything from us, it is for a reason. He always has a purpose behind His actions.

APPLICATION

Have you felt like God was withholding something from you? Many of us have felt that way. Maybe you think He is withholding answered prayers. Maybe you have asked for physical healing, but it has not come. Maybe you have prayed for a husband or a wife, but you are still single. Stop right there. Ask the Lord why He is withholding that thing from you. I guarantee He has a reason.

You see, if we are living according to His will, God does not withhold His blessings to punish us. Psalm 40:11 tells us, “You, LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your mercy and Your truth will continually watch over me.” God is not in the withholding business (unlike the U.S. Treasury). God wants to give to us.

I have to admit there have been times when I was disappointed that God withheld something from me. But looking back, I realized He knew exactly what I needed. I saw it as a bad thing, but He knew what was best for me. Look back at your own life and see how He has done the same for you.

Lord, Your way is always the best way. Thank You for withholding what is not good for me.

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