James 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

While this might have been very true at one time, it seems to be less and less true. The words of blessings seem to be missing in action. I for one had to confess this in church yesterday. While pondering the issues of failing to hear what was once common greetings that blessed friends, family and neighbors, I realized they failed to fall from my lips also.

My failing to focus on this gift of the Lord comes from dwelling on the negative. There is so much we all care about, are shocked to see, or angry and in so doing lose focus on our calling. The Lord told us to bless and not to curse. This He instructed to do to our enemies. How much so should we bless those we love and care about?

I think about Jacob and Esau and how Jacob ended up with both Esau’s inheritance and their father’s right hand of blessing. Now Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew but his blessing was stolen by Jacob. This tells me that the blessing held more importance than wealth. In this age we have forsaken that attitude and seek things before blessings. We have forgotten the value of the blessing. Perhaps that is why we have given up practicing the blessing.

We say we bless the food but are we not really just giving thanks? We miss out on a great service in the release of the blessing, it is grace in action.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I woke up late this morning with a mild panic in my heart. I didn’t do this. I didn’t do that. I haven’t taken care of my responsibilities. What will I do? How will it get done? Then I opened up my bible and there was this verse staring at me in the face. And He spoke to me.

“Am I not still your God?”

There is nothing like being reminded of who your God is to settle and unsteady mind. Shaken once again by my failed humanity I had to be reminded of Who and why He died for me. My failings, my weaknesses, my unfaithfulness where all part of those things He erased. His right hand still holds reign over me, that has not changed.

This is what happens to me when I start becoming self-reflective rather than turning my eyes upon Jesus.

What was it that Jesus said, “Stand, walk.” Nothing was given to the healed about doing much of anything else but live. If the life we live truly is in Christ Jesus, what He has prepared and is waiting to do is not discovered in revelation of details, they are revealed on the walk.

The conversation starts with, “Come walk with me.”

He will reveal the rest in The Way.

Genesis 35:3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

He has not changed in the way He is, for He is God.