ONE BLESSING AFTER ANOTHER

“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another” John 1:16 (NIV).

“For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we are all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. (Amp.)

Greetings to you in the precious Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the grace of our Lord be poured upon you and your family throughout this month.

According to the verse mentioned above, God gives us blessings after blessings and the Amplified Bible says that out of the fullness of Jesus Christ our Shepherd, we receive one grace after another and spiritual blessing after spiritual blessing.

WHAT GOD GIVES US.

According to the Bible, God gives us grace upon grace as we read in John1:16. Psalmist says that those whose strength is in God grow from strength to strength (Ps. 84:7). Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us that we reflect the glory of the Lord and that we are transformed into His likeness with glory to glory.

WHAT THE WORLD GIVES US

When Job was in agony, his own friend Bildad began to find fault with him and so Job cried to God “I am as if attacked by a troop time after time” (Job 10:17) and in NIV we read “forces come against me wave upon wave”. Again he cried, “[Satan] attacks me, making breach after breach and attacking again and again; he runs at me like a giant and irresistible warrior” (16:14). Peter referring to the attacks of Satan wrote in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8, “…..the enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour”. Jesus referring to Satan said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Israel when they went after pagan gods, the Lord said, “They go from one sin to another” (Jer. 9:3). Again He said, “Calamity upon calamity will come and rumor upon rumor” (Eze. 7:26). This is what happens when one drifts away from Jesus.

WHAT THE LORD GIVES TO HIS CHILDREN

In this age we are experiencing all the odd things which engulf us one by one. But, for His children, Jesus gives an assurance in 33^rd verse of chapter 16 in the Book of John’s gospel: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. Jesus said, “I have told these things that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing”. Christ wants us to enjoy this joy and delight. Nowadays preachers want us to enjoy His joy emotionally. But He has assured us that this joy will overflow in our lives. We always complain and complain, telling our problems, our sickness, etc. The other day I was reading about prayer and the author quoted a real incident which really touched me. One Christian Brother used to be praying all the time. So his friend asked him, “What did you gain by praying to God?”  The Christian Brother, after a moment of hesitation, replied, “Nothing – but in fact I lost a lot – let me tell you what I lost: anger, ego, greed, depression, insecurity, and fear of death”. Yes, dear brother, sister, sometimes the answer to our prayer is not gaining but losing, which ultimately is the gain for a child of God. Having this in mind, Paul wrote, “…..Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day” (2 Cor.4:16).

The second thing that Christ gives His children is holiness. At the Island of Patmos, Jesus said to John, “…….he who is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev.22:11). He wants us to continue in holiness. “…. Be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]”  says Paul in Rom.12:2.

The third and the most important thing that Jesus gives us is eternal life. In Titus, chapter 3 and verse 7 we read, “…. and that we might become heirs of eternal life according to [our] hope”. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed]. And no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:28). In Romans 6:23, we read, “For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.

So let us enjoy this grace after grace, by always rejoicing in the Lord for all the blessings after blessings He showers on us. Let our life be transformed day by day by living a holy life by the power of the Holy Spirit and finally be eligible to attain the eternal life prepared for us by our loving Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Help me, LORD, to find grace in Your sight, so that I could achieve one blessing after another and finally eternal life, through Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.