Ah, the Shabbat… a time to relax, be with great people, and get away from the pressures of work and the world.
But now… I want you to think about all the bad things that happened to you this week.
Yep! That’s right, think about all the frustrating events, all the stressful changes, and difficult people.
Now… take a moment to think about how many of those things were actually blessings in disguise, or turned out for good.
Don’t we often mistake God’s hand in our lives as negatives at first?
Sometimes blessings come across as terrible things until we understand them or the outcomes have fully come to pass.
Losing a job now, could be the best change in your life. A fight with a family member or friend could turn out for the best. Some bad news that causes you undue stress, could be more beneficial to your character and others’ health than you know.
This begs the question:
Why do we often discount God’s blessings and mistake them for trials? Why do we often struggle with finding joy in this?
One of the most obvious reasons is that our desires are not in alignment with Yah’s.
Imagine a newly wed couple who suddenly realize they are pregnant.
A blessing from God, right? Yet- the house isn’t finished being built yet, the husband is stuck in a terrible job in order to provide, and the wife has some debilitating health risk that leaves her bed-ridden.
“This was not the plan!” they both cry out in their prayers.
And of course, our minds immediately go to the often quoted phrase: “God’s timing is not our timing”. And rightly so!
Sometimes we can receive blessings at the most inopportune moments… or so we think.
A new job offer in a different state, that property we want to buy comes up for sale before we have the money, a baby comes before the house is built. A child moves away, a sickness forces you to delay your important project and instead spend you days inside, you lose a relationship.
All of these are blessings, but can include various amounts of work, stress, planning, and worldly cares that take away from our goals, plans, and aspirations. And either because they cause us mental and physical stress OR because they aren’t aligned with our own plans, we sometimes forget to view them as blessings.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:8-9
Our plans, our goals, often get in the way of God’s. If an unplanned, unexpected, and interrupting blessing or situation comes into our lives we should not look at it from the perspective of our own timing and plans, but rather with the knowledge that Yahweh is the creator of all and the king of the universe. He knows the beginning and the end for us, for our plans and goals. He knows what we truly need and will give it to us.
This is a faith exercise.
And faith really is at the center of our struggle with finding joy in these situations.
Perhaps we also lack faith that Yah will provide the means for us to deal with what is happening?
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction. – Eccl 6:1-2
Imagine being blessed tremendously by the Maker: money, things, reputation, nothing to lack, but then not being able to enjoy it.
Why? Because God has not given the power to eat of it.
What does this mean?
Faith.
Like many of the examples I shared a minute ago- this individual in Ecclesiastes 6 was blessed at an inconvenient time for his personal plans, and now doesn’t think that Yahweh will also include with His blessings the ability to enjoy it.
This is a lack of faith.
It is an important concept to learn.
The Father not only blesses us, but we must have faith that he will enable us to use the blessing or participate in it to the fullest extent.
Imagine getting a large check from a distant relative after their passing, but not being able to access it from the bank account because of legal issues.
Our God is not like that. He’s neither a teaser nor a tempter. He doesn’t get cruel enjoyment watching a dog try to reach a bone that is just beyond the extent of his leash.
If we have the faith that Yah will provide the means to meet the blessing, He will.
The example of a newly wed couple who finds out they are having a baby – must trust that God will physically provide for them in order to enjoy the blessing of a child.
What if the blessing will involve increased work and effort on our part?
Well if we’ve seen so far that we lack faith, one thing for sure we do not have lack of is fear and selfishness.
For example: Paul had to remind the church in the New Testament that it takes work and effort to achieve blessings already given to the people – and to not give in to the selfish desires of laziness:
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb 6:11-12
Our entire walk is one big blessing that we often struggle to find joy in.
Yah has given us the blessings of truth, opportunity to be part of His people, and a promise of eternal life.
These blessings come with work and effort on our part to get there.
They come at the most inopportune time, mess with all of our worldly and material goals, and require an extreme amount of faith that God will bring us to the end
Paul warns here in this verse to not become lazy, or sluggish, and sometimes we are not lazy, just dismayed at the prospect of the stress and tiredness that will come from the blessing just given to us.
If you are struggling financially and Yah gives you a blessing of an extra side job, but one that will require much work, effort, and will take up your valuable free time – how willing and excited are you to receive that blessing?
How much joy do you have in it?
I invite you to look at all the things in life you are struggling to find joy in.
And then ask yourself “why?”
Is it because your goals, desires, and timing are not in alignment with Yah’s? Do you have the unconscious belief that your thinking is more important or warranted than His?
Or, do you not have the faith that God will provide the means to accept a blessing given to you?
Or, are you just not wanting to put forth the effort, do the work, or take on the stress that will lead to acquiring the blessing put before you?
Think back about your week, all the terrible things that happened.
Which ones were actual blessings? Which ones were ones you were looking at through the perspective of these hurdles?
I pray that you and I will constantly check ourselves when situations arise that we have trouble finding joy in.
Yah loves to give His children gifts, but He wants us to enjoy them.
Be on the watch for these inhibitors of joy, and may you all start to see trials turn into blessings!
