Blessed...we all want to be Blessed. Jesus Christ is the best example of being blessed and He wants to bless you. He wants to bless you to be a blessing to others. As we celebrate Easter today, I think of how blessed we are to have a warrior go to battle for us, this warrior being none other than Jesus Christ. How does the Cross of Christ and Easter Sunday teach us how to be blessed. Many ways of course, but take a look at these next two verses.....
Persevering and Standing The Test
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”- James 1:12 (Emphasis Added)
Jesus persevered for us and Blessed is Jesus for standing the test, He has certainly received the crown of life that God promised Him and because He has stood the test, we are Blessed! Listen, through the Resurrection Power of Jesus Christ, you can persevere through any trial you are facing right now. What challenge are you facing, what hurdle must you overcome? Jesus is saying to you right now and has given His life to you in one of the most brutal ways of dying, so that you would stand the test and receive your crown! Friend, stand the test of your trials, you will be Blessed beyond measure and God will give you the crown through your love for Him!
Trust and Confidence
Perseverance and standing the test. You have probably heard that before. The thing is you may not have known how to persevere nor to stand. Here is your outline....
I. How To Persevere and Stand The Test
A. Trust In The Lord
B. Have Confidence In The Lord
C. Blessed is the man who follows letter A and letter B above
Take a look at this word from God Almighty through the prophet Jeremiah...
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him. (Emphasis Added)
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit. - Jeremiah 17:7-8 (New International Version)
How awesome is that! We are blessed through our trust and confidence in The Lord. We then are like trees sending out roots by the stream, we can over come fear, our leaves are always green, we can defeat worry, and we will always bear fruit because our foundation is through Trust and Confidence in The Lord!
Jesus, He Trusted, He Had Confidence
Jesus persevered and stood the test, but He did not do so without intense Prayer and conversation with The Father. The night before The Crucifixion, Jesus prayed that the 'cup' that He was about to drink from would pass, that if possible, He would avoid having to go through the excruciating events that were to come the next day. When Jesus Prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42 NIV), He was praying with trusts and confidence in the Lord. Maybe we don't pray as we should because deep down inside, we don't trust God. We think we are in control or we think God does not exist...or if He does exist, then He is not listening because He does not care. Friends, that thinking is way off base and it is exactly the lie that satan wants for you to believe.
Jesus believed in The Father, He trusted Him, He had confidence in Him, that is why Jesus was able to Pray the "dangerous" Prayer, "Father...... not my will, but yours be done."
Do you really want to be a Blessed Man? Do you have the courage to Pray "Father...... not my will, but yours be done?
Do you have the courage to apply this Prayer to your family, to your career, to your school, to your decision making? I am willing to give you a guarantee. If you have trust and confidence in The Lord God Almighty, The One who gave you a mind to think, a heart that beats, and lungs that breathe, then you will get to the point where you will Pray that Prayer.
Jesus had the courage to Pray a "Dangerous Prayer"...it allowed Him to persevere and stand the test. It allowed Him to receive the crown of life that God promised Him through His love for The Father. It allowed him to be a Blessed Man. We have received the fruits of His labor because He Trusted God and because of His Confidence in God. We are Blessed because He gave His life for us! Now, what are you going to do with being a Blessed Man/Woman?
He wants you to LIVE here and now on earth as well as in Heaven for Eternity. Live the life that He has called you to live. Persevere. Stand The Test. Trust The Lord and Become a Blessed Man.
Happy Easter!
