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We often forget that God's blessings and miracles typically have a purpose. We think it's all about Him doing what we asked for. However, in many, if not most, cases, the experiences we testify about serve a greater goal, and one of them is to get other people to praise Him.
It shouldn't be a surprise that God wants people to praise Him. This is precisely why satan got jealous and rebelled. The devil wanted the adoration God receives because of His greatness. Think about it, all of creation praises Him so much, a stone could replace us if we chose not to (Luke 19:40). The Bible tells us that all were created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). We therefore can't expect Him not to desire glory from those He created in His image to honor Himself.
And glorifying God was part of the miracle that happened when a lame man was healed in the name of Jesus within the Temple grounds (Acts 3). He was at the Beautiful Gate to beg people, and though he'd wanted money, he received something better - physical and spiritual healing.
But the blessings didn't stop with this man. The people of Jerusalem who'd seen his miracle rejoiced and gave praise to the Lord. They told others, and even the next day, people were still glorifying the Lord. It was so much that the leaders had to release the Apostles after holding them unjustly. Acts 4:21-22 - After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. /For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
This is one reason why God blesses people and does miracles - that we all will glorify Him. That we will rejoice with those who were favorably touched by Him and join them in praising. Keeping this in mind, please always take a moment (or two or more) to rejoice in the Lord when His hand reaches down to the earth to bring healing or some other form of miraculous transformation. Be it in your life or someone else's.
He did what He did to get our attention. To remind us that He hears prayers and can answer them. He wants us to remember that He will do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). So, give Him His due praise and silence the enemy, which wants you to overlook and ignore God. Be blessed by the Lord Almighty, IJN, Amen. And be sure to testify, so all may praise Him!
PS: Today, the prayer time will be much different than usual. Think of something God did for you. Be sure to testify about it below, then drop a prayer for somebody to experience your testimony. Get it? Say what God did for you and ask Him to do it for somebody else. This should be fun! God bless you!
Give your life to Christ with the Altar Call below and learn more about today's topic from the following previous P&P messages:
Can we be honest? Most sane people don't look forward to suffering. It hurts and drags our emotions into the gutter. The tough times are often so extreme that many of us struggle to get out of bed. After all, who wants to deal with that reality?
However, I couldn't help but notice that the Bible featured people thanking God for their struggles. King David said in Psalm 119:71 - My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees (NLT). Then Paul taught in James 1:2 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.
And the apostles rejoiced "that God counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus" (Acts 5:4). And this was after they'd been flogged! Of course, we know that Paul and Silas even submitted to grave maltreatment in Philippi, where they were unjustly beaten and tossed in jail. They could have claimed their rights as Romans before things went too far, but didn't for the sake of fulfilling God's purpose.
Still, it boggled my mind that people would be grateful for the troubles they faced. That was until the Lord slowly taught me that the very problems His children grumble about had a very good purpose. In a roundabout way, they indicate that we belong to Him. That unfair treatment we faced was because He had marked us as His. It was never meant to break us or cause us to feel down. It should have prompted us to rejoice just as the disciples did after unfair treatment.
The real issue has always been our lack of context, which is why it is so important to ask the Lord for wisdom so we can see things from His perspective. Once I had some insight into what I'd been through and knew that despite the stress, I'd always had my loving God by my side, I was able to give Him praise. I could sincerely thank Him and appreciate all the troubles I'd experienced.
Not only did I realize that I'd never been alone, but I also appreciated that in one way or another, He'd used that period to strengthen and teach me invaluable lessons. Romans 5:3 - We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. He'd increased my faith in those dark seasons when it seemed like nothing good could ever come forth. Instead of the disaster satan wanted for me, the Lord walked me out into the light and His victory. All I could do was worship in gratitude.
I have now become one of those who genuinely thank the Lord for the tough times. I'm still stunned by this, honestly, but I have a better understanding of what was going on back then. I haven't figured everything out, and I don't claim perfection. I will likely keep gaining perspective till He calls me home. And I now know that no matter what, He won't leave me until He has fulfilled every last promise (Genesis 28:15).
God has a plan, and He won't stop helping you until it is accomplished. Only you can get in the way of this, but He will go to every length to bring you into His purpose, the promise, and the resulting rewards. The challenges are just His way of building your spiritual muscles so you stand firm in the face of whatever satan throws your way.
I pray that the devil will discover that its return on investment from bothering you is zero. It shall not profit where you are concerned, IJN, Amen. Having seen His faithfulness, you too will eventually thank the Lord for the troubles because you overcame and are more than a conqueror, IJMN, Amen. Be encouraged as you face down the troubles of this world, knowing everything will work out for your good because you love God and are walking in His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Give your life to Christ with the Altar Call below and learn more about today's topic from the following previous P&P messages: