More 'Blessings & Blastings' Psalm 41:1-2

Text: “Bless`ed (blessed with blessings) is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.  The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.”
                                                                                                                 Psalm 41:1-2.

Good morning, blessed & blasted Christian!  Being Divinely blessed with Salvation in Christ Jesus and through His Atonement Sacrifice on the Cross alone – you are beset thereafter with all the blastings of the world, the flesh; and the Devil.  Fact.  This is an ongoing aspect of your entire life, from the day you are saved by God’s Sovereign grace, until the day you put your body of flesh into the grave, or the Lord returns to catch us away to Glory.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren that are in the world.  But the God of all grace, Who hath called you unto His Eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.  To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.” (1 Peter 5:8-11)

“Jesus Christ betrayed of Judas Iscariot, is evidently the great theme of this Psalm but, we think, not exclusively.  He is the antitype of David, and all His people are in their measure like Him, hence words suitable to the Great Representative are most applicable to those who are in Him.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 198)

In other words, IF we have been redeemed by Christ Jesus, we seek to become like Him, or Christ-like, in all that we say, do, think, and experience in daily life.  Other people, yet unsaved, then see the evidence of our Christian profession and are, in this manner, and according to the Sovereign will of God, drawn by the Lord to repentance and Salvation in their own lives.  This is the power of a true Christian witness.

However, because Christ had to suffer the cruel sufferings of the Cross in order to save us, we too are called to enter into His sufferings, obviously in a much lesser manner, throughout our lives lived for His glory.  The Cross of daily sufferings must always come before the crown of Heavenly glory.

“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake; having the same conflict which ye see in me (Paul the apostle), and now hear to be in me.”  (Philippians 1:29-30)

Christ Jesus lived upon this cruel earth for thirty-three and a half years.  That time was evidenced as a time in which He went about doing wonderful and good things unto many others; yet was often repaid by betrayal, misrepresentation; and vilification.  Followers of Christ also fall victim to such oppositions and inflicted sufferings from the world, the flesh, and the Devil. It comes with the territory of being a true Christian.

“Such as receive a vile return for long kindness to others may read this song with much comfort, for they will see that it is, alas, too common for the best of men to be rewarded for their holy charity with cruelty and scorn; and when they have been humbled by falling into sin, advantage has been taken of their low estate, their good deeds have been forgotten, and the vilest spite has been vented upon them.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 198)

For over 38 years as a born again, Bible-believing, Christian – the author of this Bible Lesson has endured, constantly, this concept of what I have come to call, ‘Blessings and Blastings’.  For example, the Lord might use me to reach a precious soul/souls with His Word, or a word of honest testimony of how Christ saved me in 1979, within the cell of a Maximum Security Prison in Northern Ireland – that’s a blessing.

However, my experience has been, throughout all these years, that, when I am privileged of God to serve Him in some manner – there has come a ‘blasting’ hindrance, temptation, failure, from the world, flesh, or Devil prior to the ‘blessing from God’, OR a ‘blasting’ to promptly follow any ‘blessing of service’ I have been graciously enabled by God to fulfil.

Having recognized this continual sequence of events over a long period of time, I prayed and asked the Lord why these before or after ‘blastings’ were permitted by Him, when I had sought to serve Him so faithfully.  God soon directed me to His Scriptures to hear His reply:

“And lest I should be exalted above measure (think too highly of myself) through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, that messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure…gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (and in all hindrances, oppositions, etc.) that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (in Christ’s strength and grace).”  (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Verse 1. “Blessed is he that considereth the poor. Such as have been made partakers of Divine grace receive a tenderer nature and are not hardened against their own flesh and blood; they undertake the cause of the downtrodden and turn their minds seriously to the promotion of their welfare.  They do not toss them a penny and go on their way, but enquire into their sorrows, sift out their cause , study the best ways for their relief, and practically come to their rescue.”  C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 198)

It is often not popular to seek justice and equality for underdogs in societies; one is looked upon as a trouble-maker, a ‘do-gooder’ attempting to rock the boat of social inequalities and the rich man’s rules.  However, Christians must at all times practice a Divine Spirit of goodness; see things compassionately, as Christ sees them; and act accordingly, and without respect of estate or social station.  Blasting is promised to those of us who seek to defend the rights of the poor and downtrodden today.

Thought: God will not ‘deliver us unto the will of our enemies…’, God will bless!

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