The Favor of God

I have been thinking a lot about the Beatitudes, as our church has been studying the Sermon on the Mount, and I have the privelege of preaching the review and summary of that topic this Monday.

The Favor of God

Blessed are the poor in spirit

For the Kingdom of heaven is theirs

Blessed are the ones who are weeping in grief

God will wipe up their tears and give comfort and strength

The favor of God will rest upon you

When you are desperate, don't know what to do

With nowhere to turn, at the end of your rope--

Let God be the one who brings comfort and hope.

Blessed are the meek and gentle

For they will inherit the land.

Blessed are the ones who long to be righteous

With their longing fulfilled, in the light they will stand.

The favor of God will rest upon you

When you hunger and thirst to be righteous and true

When you don't real and clamor for all that you're due

Then the blessing of God will settle on you.

Blessed are the ones who show mercy

For they will have mercy shown them.

Blessed are the ones whose love for God is pure

They'll recognize God for certain and sure.

The favor of God will rest upon you

When your hands and your heart are both open to do

The things that are needed by all those around

Then the blessings of God will surely abound.

Blessed are the ones who reach out to make peace

They'll be known as God's children and grace will increase.

And blessed are those who for doing what's right

Are tormented and hated by those who hate light.

The favor of God will rest upon you

When you're persecuted for things that you do

As you follow Jesus with all that you are

In the Kingdom of God you will surely go far.

Al-Qaabid, The Withholder, The Restrainer, The Limiter

 This calligraphy is from vecteezy.com.  I selected it because it makes me think of a pearl, and I think that the wisdom contained in this name for God is a "pearl of great price."

The idea that God limits us, or even withholds things from us sounds impossible to many evangelical Christians today. We hear the "prosperity Gospel" preached.   However, as our story goes, even in the Garden of Eden, God started out by putting limits on His creations.  "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." (Genesis 2:15-17 NIV)

The logic of this name is that there are times when God sets limits on us, even withholds good things from us, and that the wise person accepts these limitations from God.  Not all limitations are forever.  Paired with this name is the next one on the list--  God limits, but God also expands.

Jesus taught that one of the routes to receiving more responsibility is to be faithful in whatever little responsibility you have been given.  He told the story of a king who doled out different gifts to those in his employ.  They got different amounts of money and they were responsible for investing them.  Two did well and got rewarded by being put in charge of several cities.  The praise for those who did well was, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share in your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:23 NIV).  The story also tells of the one who was not faithful in what had been given him, but that's not really what I'm thinking of here.

I think it's important to recognize, as this name does, that one of the things God does is to set limits on us.  Some of the limitations are due to lack of resources, whether in abilities or material assets.  Some are because we are told not to do certain things.  As I thought about it, I wanted to proclaim, "The limits you give us, the limits you give me, are good."

                

Limited

You're unlimited, but You limit us

And the limits You give us are good

Don't you go lusting after your neighbor's spouse.

Don't you hunger and thirst for their lands or their house.

You're unlimited, but You limit us

And the limits You give us are good.

Be content with the lot that is given to you.

Trust that your God will be faithful and true.

You're unlimited, but You limit us

And the limits You give us are good.

Trust in the timing of God above

And know that the limits are given in love.

You're unlimited, but You limit us

And the limits You give us are good.