A Crown of Eternal Blessedness

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A Crown of Eternal Blessedness

Andrea Lende • September 12, 2022

I Corinthians 9:25

A Crown of Eternal Blessedness

You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/A-Crown-of-Eternal-Blessedness-e1nnppr

I Corinthians 9:25

Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither.

“A crown of eternal blessedness.”

The Century Dictionary defines blessedness as: “the state of being blessed; happiness; felicity; bliss; heavenly joys; the favor God.”

So, we wear a crown of happiness, a crown of bliss, a crown of heavenly joys, and a crown of the favor of God!

Could we be any more blessed?

I dare say, no.

Paul wrote the church at Corinth about restricting himself and his body from the things that could make him unacceptable for the kingdom of heaven.

Temporary restrictions to receive the crown of eternal blessedness.

A crown we most definitely desire.

His writing stirs a question in my heart and may in yours as well.

What is it that we need to restrict ourselves from that is not pleasing in God’s sight?

Ultimately, God desires our praise and worship.

He desires that we love and honor Him and believe in His Son.

And He desires our dependence on Him.

So, some better questions may be:

Where, in our lives, are we not offering praise to God?

Where are we not fully loving or honoring Him?

In other words, what are we making a priority over God?

And finally, where are we depending on ourselves instead of depending on Him?

Some tough questions to grapple with, however, important ones that can help steer us closer to receiving the crown of eternal blessedness Paul writes about.

The Lord desires to bless us today and throughout eternity.

He has many good things in store for us.

As we become more and more rooted in Him, dependent on Him, and give our hearts to Him, His plans are to bless us.

Just as we, parents, desire to bless our children, He desires to bless us.

However, it is difficult to bless a wayward or distant child just as it is difficult for God to bless us if we are wayward or distant from Him.

Today I choose to lean into God and praise Him for all He does, love Him with my whole heart, and fully depend on Him.

May you find that honoring God, loving Him, and depending on Him leads you to blessings here on earth as well as the eternal blessings God has in store for you.

Daily Prayer:

O Lord, thank You for the promise of eternity with You. Thank You for blessing us so abundantly here on earth and the promise of all the eternal blessings You have in store for us. Lord, help us reach for You today. Help us honor You and give You the reverence You are due. Help us worship and praise Your name for You are greatly to be praised! And help us depend on You. May we cast our cares on You today, Lord, and wait expectantly for You to work in all the circumstances of our lives. May our hearts sing of You all day long. Help us bless someone this day. Thank you for hearing our prayer.

Answer: I AM the Great I AM and there is nothing I cannot do for you. Lean on Me.

Response: Help us lean on You, Almighty God and Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.

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By Andrea Lende • December 29, 2022

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By Andrea Lende • December 28, 2022

As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.

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By Andrea Lende • December 28, 2022

I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.

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By Andrea Lende • December 27, 2022

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God Will Be Our Guide

By Andrea Lende • December 26, 2022

This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.

Unto Us A Child Is Born

By Andrea Lende • December 24, 2022

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By Andrea Lende • December 22, 2022

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By Andrea Lende • December 21, 2022

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This is a picture of red Christmas balls and the words Merry Christmas

God's Power

By Andrea Lende • December 20, 2022

Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.