Have you ever said or thought something like this: “I’m such a sinner though God blesses me far more than I deserve!” This happened to me today. Jenny and I were in Irene with a close friend.
We had just ordered cappuccinos for him and Jenny and a Red Grapetizer for myself when I received a call saying a replacement copier/printer was being delivered to replace the old machine I have had for many years. I said I would be back home by 2.30pm, to which the person said: “Then I will deliver it on Monday.”
My brain worked overtime as having a printer would help me to print the service and sermon outlines for Sunday Night’s gathering we have at our home. I said, “I’ll be home in 30 minutes.” This was 12.50pm. I cancelled my drink, but Bob and Jenny’s were already made.
As they were drinking it, Jenny said, “I will ask whether they have a ‘to go’ mug for the cappuccino.” They had, and in minutes we were on our way home.
When the person said, “I was told to deliver a printer”… he was actually outside my house already. I overran the 30 minutes by 10 minutes because a traffic light was not working close to where we live that delayed me. Nevertheless, we arrived home.
The gentleman and his helper offloaded the machine, and whilst he was setting it up so that I could print I asked, “Does this printer scan?”
He said it did but it needed to be connected to the wifi router. The router is in the dining room, whilst the printer is in the small bedroom we converted into a study. Out of the dining room, into the passage, past the bathroom into the study. I knew I had an ethernet cable long enough somewhere. I soon found it in the outside room, and hey presto, we were ready to set up the scan facility. There is a small problem though. The ethernet cable is lying on the floor as I cannot move the router. A few rugs to prevent tripping is a temporary solution, and I will figure out a permanent solution soon.
So here is “God blessing me far more than I deserve.” This printer/copier, although secondhand, is quite a modern one compared to the previous one, but it has the scanning facility. I have not had this facility at home for almost ‘forever’! All scanning I need to do, a friend has graciously done for me. Do you ever feel like I felt today? Yes, I am overjoyed that I have a fancy, more modern printer/copier that can scan … and I am so thankful to have been gifted this way … but do I deserve such a blessing, being such a sinner that I am?
Someone said, “Mercy is when He spares us from bad things we deserve. Blessings are when the Lord is generous with both. Truly we can never run out of reasons to thank Him.” The Bible says (God says):
Mat 5:45 He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Generally, this refers to God blessing all peoples with what we need to live and exist. Then specifically He blesses His people:
Eph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
We lack no spiritual blessing … we have it all already! Some people misuse or misinterpret the Bible and claim or demand God gives them what they want or think they deserve. Others just expect God to flood them with blessings. Very few realize that we Christians don’t deserve the blessings (many or little, small or great) that God sends our way. Yet … in His grace, mercy and kindness, He gives us what we don’t deserve to enable us to enjoy a better life of service whilst on earth. His blessings are not intended as luxury but as sufficiency! I am amazed at how Psalm 103 encapsulates underserved blessings perfectly!
Ps 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him
Verse 10 informs us that God is so merciful that He does not treat us as our sins deserve … or repay us according to our iniquities! Why? Because of His amazing love for His blood washed people … see verse 11. This is why He has remove our sins so far from us … as far as the east is from the west! Are you able to measure that distance? No … because as you go from east to west to measure, so west moves further and further away … meaning that your sins are removed forever through the Blood of Calvary. When you look at verses 8-10 and verse 13 you see God’s sterling character and attributes. These are the reasons that as our Glorious Heavenly Father, He does not treat us as our sins deserve and blesses us with various and many gifts throughout our Christian pilgrimage that we don’t deserve!
What ought our response to be to God for His wonderful, continual gifting that we don’t really deserve?
First, they ought to humble us. Too often God blesses us with something and we take it for granted as a right, yet good blessings ought to cause us to humble ourselves before God because we don’t deserve such undeserved grace.
Second, they ought to cause thanksgiving. In us not thanking God for each gifting or blessing that comes our way amounts to abuse.
Third, they ought to motivate us to sin less. Each and every time God’s favour comes our way needs to result in us seeking to be more holy which is the opposite of sin.
Fourth, they ought to generate more love for God. Surely appreciation, thanksgiving and joy ought to result in us loving Jesus more.
Fifthly, they ought to produce better service to God and for His Kingdom. Service is the product of a saved soul that is filled with love.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for all the blessings I tend to overlook each day. Help me to be more observant at Your grace directed towards me so that I will appreciate Your gifting more, love You better and serve You with joy. May I respond to Your blessings with an attitude of sharing Your love for me with others. Amen.