Blessings??

"This is only a season, your blessing will come after this."
"I know this is hard, but your blessing is just around the corner."
"Your blessing is coming."
"I know you are suffering, but after this test/trial, your blessings will come."
".... you fill it in"

How many times have we heard this from those who love us when we are going through a tough time? It seems that the hope that we have is often placed in some future blessing that we are supposedly supposed to recieve, but unfortunately that is not as biblical as we would want it to be. However don't be discouraged, there is an eternal hope and glory that we can cling to.

If you are a Christian, you have experienced one or both of the following: a test or a trial. These sometimes are small and sometimes are so big we can't even see how we are going to come out of it. Its funny to look back over time, a year or so later after we have experienced something so life changing, so transitional, so painful, yet looking back we view it as so instrumental in conforming us more into Christ's image and making us more like Him...in fact without it, we wouldn't be the person we are today.

Although we want to cling onto this "false hope" that because we are suffering we are going to get some big "earthly" blessing right when we come out of it, just isn't true. In fact, the truth is, we aren't promised anything on earth, only for eternity. But the reality of the situation, is an earthly blessing could NEVER compare to the blessings we will one day receive in heaven.

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15)

"and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4)

Think of this...how much are we blessed on an everyday basis that we take for granted? Safety, shelter, provision, family, friends, and the list goes on. We search for these LARGE earthly blessings that we think will make us more happy then we already are, but our hope and our joy should be in Christ alone. We should hope in that eternal inheritance that we will one day receive. Praise God!

Not to say that God isn't going to bless you on the 'macro' level, but don't forget how he blesses you on the 'micro' level as well.

Be encouraged, if you are going through a trial, a test, or suffering right now, you have already recieved your blessing...Christ's promise that you will one day be able to share in the joy and eternal glory of His heavenly father. What greater blessing could we ever have?