Much like yesterday, today is a beautiful day.  It's a little humid as we had some rain come through last night (awesome...is there an end to the drought coming through?), but all in all it's nice out here.  The bigger kids are playing in the woods around our house, the wife and I are sitting in the garden, and the baby is napping next to us.  Could we asked to be blessed with anything more on this day?

Enjoying Blessings

What I wrote above made me ponder a question:  How does God feel when I decide to take a day, such as the Sabbath, and just enjoy His blessings?  What if I just take this moment to write a really short entry that just says, "Thanks God for all you have blessed me with!  Now I just want to relax and enjoy it and rest today."

The Gospel of John has a verse that may add some clarification to this.  At least it does to me.  It states:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

John 10:10

What I believe Jesus is saying here is that Jesus has come so that we may have true life and enjoy it to the fullest extent.  Of course this doesn't mean we can do whatever we want, ignoring the commandments and sinning without remorse.  I think it means that when we as Christ followers use our faith in God for the good of others, whether it be through loving or giving, we can take time now and then to enjoy the blessings that God has given us for being faithful to Him to the fullest. 

Which life was Jesus talking about; the one here on earth or the one with Him for all eternity?  Does it make a difference which one?  Make it simple: Apply it to BOTH!  God wants us to be happy here on earth.  But when we start forgetting why we're here and we put worldly things above God, he puts sorrow or hardship into our lives to remind us that we are not in control.

So why do some people who do nothing but fear the Lord and stay true to the faith suffer?  I don't know the answer to that question and I think it would be a complicated one.  But I would suggest that maybe there is something going on in that person's life that we don't know about.  Maybe they have some struggle with God or with the worldly things that no one else knows about?  Or maybe God is using that person and their struggle to serve as a light for others?  I don't know.  That is a topic for an entire post. (Maybe my post from yesterday can shed some light on how a person stricken with suffering, yet still praising God to the fullest, can show the rest of us that maybe we're not running the race for God with near enough effort?)

For now, I want to focus on the fact that I am enjoying my blessings this morning.  My family of 6 had breakfast together, we are outside enjoying the day, and soon we will be having church.  I can't imagine how it could be any better than that?  Those are blessings from God, and as I believe Jesus said, to be enjoyed to the fullest.

Until tomorrow...

Come Believe.