Seasons of Blessings is a 5 Minute Worship Discussion Read written by Kaitlyn Hermening. Seasons of Blessings is a part of our Worship Through The Seasons Discussion Series. Click the links below to be forwarded to past posts in the series.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. –Psalm 16:11
Eternity spent in the presence of God is the highest blessing. We will forever be in a state of worship because of receiving relationship with our Creator! Seasons of blessing in this lifetime foreshadow eternity.
A blessing could be an unexpected gift or an answered prayer; it could even be protection seen in retrospect: a “blessing in disguise.” Regardless, in the act of blessing there is always a giver and a receiver.
God as Giver
In each season we go through, we can learn a different attribute of God. Which season are you in? Which attributes of God are you experiencing beyond a head-knowledge? What kind of gift are you receiving from the Giver – favor or a blessing in disguise?
People as Receivers
We could spend hours here.
Receiving seems like a simple concept, but in our brokenness we are not the best at it. Listening to “The Art of Receiving” podcast by Personality Hacker taught me about two major hang ups we have in this give and take. Think about your own experiences of receiving (maybe a birthday gift, a compliment, an act of service, a sum of money, a hug) as you read:
Rejecting Receiving
The first reason we might reject receiving is that we assume there are strings attached. We know our own selfishness, so it’s easy to assume that the giver also has ulterior motives. We hesitate because we fear being manipulated. We fear that the giver expects something in return.
The second reason we reject receiving is that we believe we are not worthy. In this instance, what we’re really saying is, “I am unworthy of having these good things in my life.”
Learn to Receive Well
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” –Matthew 7:11
We established above that God is the ultimate Giver, the originator of all possible good gifts. To become a better receiver, we can reframe our perspective about His character, based on Scripture. With Him there are no hidden motives! A good giver does not expect anything in return. If obligation is implied, it is not a gift.
So, we can train ourselves to view “giving” as an expression of “giving love.” And we can choose to see objects (blessings) as physical manifestations of love. To take all of this a step further, when we are asking, “Do I really deserve this?” we may be asking the deeper question, “Am I worthy of love?” With God we are made worthy because of Jesus.
We can train ourselves to view giving and receiving as connection (again, love). The giver offers connection, and the receiver responds to it. The good giver says, “I love you,” and the good receiver responds, “I love you too and will not reject your connection.”
Worship in Blessing
In a season of God’s blessings, how should we respond?
1. ENJOY. It is a gift. Delight in it!
Imagine a Christmas morning scene with me for a moment: a little girl races down the stairs to a tree surrounded by presents. Her daddy peeks around the corner in delight over her anticipation to open gifts he’s specifically picked out for her. She peels off the last layer of wrapping paper, and her eyes grow wide out of excitement. She feels loved by his knowledge of her, and he feels mutually blessed by how she received his gift.
If you know Jesus, you are God’s child. You can be wide-eyed and grateful as your Father delights to connect with you.
2. Give glory
In humility and gratitude, give recognition to the Giver. Devote your heart in worship to Him alone. Check out Psalm 16 to see how King David responded in a season of blessing.
3. Be a good steward
We are blessed to bless others. We receive from the Giver, then we become the givers to other people. We cannot pay back God, nor should we think of it that way; instead we can pay it forward.
Receive well; worship Him; pay it forward.
“His goodness follows us until we reach the Father’s house. The Lord is our highest good and greatest treasure, to know Him is the highest privilege in life. The path of life that He shows us on earth today will end in even greater life when we enter heaven. Then we shall be in His presence and experience fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.” –Warren Wiersbe
Recommended Track of the Week: “Psalm 16 (Fullness of Joy)” by Shane & Shane