How Often We Are Thieves...

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 

How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Rom.11:33 NKJV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who has blessed us in Christ 

with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms...

...In Him we have redemption through His blood, 

the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

8that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Eph.1:3,7-8 BSB

I would LOVE a whole sermon series on the

'depth of the riches' of spiritual blessing! 

(God bless the teacher/preacher of truth

by the power of the Holy Spirit 

able to verbalize thoughts I grasp at,

to stretch me beyond my personal and often inept

'wisdom and understanding' 

turned into words to encourage, exhort and edify)

Why should we obey?

What is the reward?

Do we dread the dire destiny of the fruitless tree?

and many more challenges and concerns

for myself and for all who have

'repented and were baptized'

as we are urged to,  then...(Eph.4:1-3)

'walk in a manner worthy of the calling you/we have received:

2with all humility and gentleness, with patience,

bearing with one another in love,

3and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit

through the bond of peace...

***

Last night Victoria offered to do the supper dishes

giving me the glorious opportunity to soak in 

Summer Dusk in the Garden...

truly a glimpse of heaven on earth!

In goes a seed and out of it grows God's amazing handiwork!!

August is a vault of beauty and blessing...

 

...but August's beauty and blessing

 pales in comparison to the blessings

Invisible, without envy/awe-inducing attractive appearance;

the 'spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms'

for the reverent and obedient

both now and forevermore!

 Oh, pray we do not rob ourselves of this wealth

by becoming consumed with lesser riches.

how often we are thieves, though unaware of what we steal

we rob ourselves of riches beyond price, for ‘nice’ appeal

forgetting, in the forfeiting of what God cannot bless

we rob the branch/tree of bearing the sweet fruit of righteousness

forgetting in the whetting of a carnal appetite

we cannot taste God’s goodness, if we do not find delight

in the law of the Lord, if the desires of our hearts

are worldly, rather than craving what God alone imparts...

as we dredge His Word for wealth this world cannot comprehend

bent on one sacred mission; to be faithful to the end

lest, when weighed in The Balance we are found wanting, oh pray

we recognize the treasure that will never fade away

and keep our eyes fixed on a Prize only true faith holds dear

giving more earnest heed to what transcends Time’s transient sphere

lest, in the quest for more we care less about how we live

and steal from ourselves the blessings only God can give

...and rob ourselves of priceless wealth that money cannot buy

beyond the minute pleasure of things pleasing touch-taste-eye 

how often we are thieves, dear God forgive us and renew

our minds to hunger for the depth of riches found in You

...lest we thirst for what is cursed rather than 'riches of grace'

lest, by the voice of choice we worship vices, vile and base

lest, though our lips confessed Your name, our actions disagree

'dogs returned to their vomit' nay! oh, may it never be

obedience is better than off'rings and sacrifice

how often we tend to shrink from faith's fundamental price 

how often love unbridled is lured by he who deceives 

only God's Word to gird, keeps us from turning into thieves

© Janet Martin

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing