The LORD will be to us the greatest good without any of the drawbacks which seem necessarily to attend the best earthly things. If a city is favored with broad rivers, it is liable to be attacked by galleys with oars and other ships of war. But when the LORD represents the abundance of His bounty under this figure, He takes care expressly to shut out the fear which the metaphor might suggest. Blessed be His perfect love! LORD, if Thou send me wealth like broad rivers, do not let the galley with oars come up in the shape of worldliness or pride. If Thou grant me abundant health and happy spirits, do not let "the gallant ship" of carnal ease come sailing up the flowing flood. If I have success in holy service, broad as the German Rhine, yet let me never find the galley of self-conceit and self-confidence floating on the waves of my usefulness. Should I be so supremely happy as to enjoy the light of Thy countenance year after year, yet let me never despise Thy feeble saints, nor allow the vain notion of my own perfection to sail up the broad rivers of my full assurance. LORD, give me that blessing which maketh rich and neither addeth sorrow nor aideth sin.
After reading this verse and Spurgeon's insights on it, I was so reassured that the Lord wanted me to rest in his blessings and find joy in them. Then my mind wandered to the sin + blessings equation. . . The first is dark, evil, and of Satan, while the second is pure, glorious, and from the Father. How do those two mix---they are oil and water??? How in the world does the Lord see fit to pour his perfect blessings into the midst of our crappy sins???
Answer: Jesus. We can enjoy glimpses of eternity with the Father through the Son who took on that sin.
This all occurred to me once I started to consider blessings in a sinless world and realized there would be no need. In a sinless world, we could live in the presence of the glory of the Father and we would get to experience the fullness of joy available to us, there would be no need for samples (It's like why eat the fun size m&ms when you could eat an entire large bag without any calories).
SO basic principle: the Lord is giving me a glimpse of Heaven in His blessings and I am totally ready to jump on this bandwagon of blessings he has for me and enjoy this precious gift!!
Oh, and what happens if it's taken away, you might ask???? Answer: I've still gotten yet another glimpse into eternity and that's where the blessing of the blessing lies!
Oh and a little extra Spurgeon goodness on blessings:
"Anything is a blessing which makes us pray."
"In spiritual things, when God has raised a desire, He always gratifies it; hence the longing is prophetic of the blessing. In no case is the desire of the living thing excited to produce distress, but in order that it may seek and find satisfaction."
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