TODAY’S INSPIRATION:THE BLESSING OF GOD’S FAVOR…

We are thankful for our blessings and everybody is happy for us, right? Wrong. There are some who will get upset when God favors you and blesses you in abundance. Some people have the spirit of Cain; they hate the fact that you have favor with God. And it is not always your enemies that feel this way. Sometimes the very ones that you think have your back are waiting to stab you in it. Remember Judas sat at the table with Jesus. But Jesus was not surprised, He already knew. He also knows who does not have our best interest at heart and will reveal it to us if we have a relationship with Him. Otherwise, we may not see the betrayal coming. The very ones we love and trust can hurt us the worst. One of God’s angels rebelled against Him. He wanted to be God’s equal. He wanted the honor and glory that belongs to God alone. Because of this, he was banished from heaven. His name is satan which means accuser or adversary. There is no clearer example than that of satan. Some people want what God has blessed you with. I am not talking just monetary, but your peace and joy. Some people enter into your life and the next thing you know your joy and peace vanish and has been replaced with chaos and confusion. When this happens you know it is not of God. God is a God of order and peace. Satan loves the opposite. He will imitate God’s angels to destroy you. He was once an angel so he is a skilled counterfeiter.

“Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” (Psalms 5:12)

“for this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.  We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers that the world hates you” (1 John 3:11-13) ESV

“And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me. Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelations 12:7-9)

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” (1 Corinthians 14;33)

Everyone will not celebrate your success. Everyone will not like you. In fact the scripture tells us when we choose God, the world will hate us as it hated Him. The spirit of the enemy (envy) will have them feeling your success came at their expense. That should have been their promotion, their house, their spouse. They irrationally believe that you have their blessing. People have the tendency to look at where you are now, not realizing the struggle you may have went through to get there. What did you have to give up? How many relationships did you lose? Victory only comes after struggle. Success is the reward that God gives to the diligent, who through perseverance and patience obtained the promise. The enemy is always going to try and block the blessings God has for us. But what God has for us is for us and no one can take it away unless we let them. Your struggle helps you appreciate the blessings when they come. When I speak of successes, I am not just talking monetarily, the most precious possessions are peace and joy. These are priceless gifts that come from God. Unfortunately sometimes those who are closest to you will try to steal them as well. A jealous heart, which is not of God, can be the beginning of betrayal.

“If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-20)

“But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (James 3:14-16)

“Now as for you, be strong and never be discouraged, because there will be reward for your work.” (2 Chronicles 15:7)

“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thessalooans 3:3)

“No eye has seen, nor ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him.” (Romans 15:13)

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

This does not mean we give up on people, God does not give up on us. It means we ask God for discernment and wisdom. We ask God to open our spiritual eyes because everything is not as it seems in the natural. It means that we pray for them and ask God for direction on how or how not to deal with them. We can be thankful that God always has our back. He will protect us from those who mean harm and will remove them from our lives if we can’t. And when He does remove them, we must not try to keep them or let them back in! As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should encourage one another and rejoice when others are blessed. It is easy to do this when we keep our eyes on the Blesser and not the blessing. People change, seasons change, but God will forever remain the same.

Love and Blessings…