Abundant blessings are coming!
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Following Jesus in times of stormy weather and difficulty isn’t easy. Lots of people give up in the storm. They walk away from their faith convictions and feel that faithfulness to God isn’t worth all the trouble. But the Lord promises to abundantly bless all those who are loyal to Him, sacrifice for the sake of His Kingdom, and remain steadfast in times of hardship. If that’s you, God is sending this word of encouragement and telling you to keep on pressing. Hang on in there! Our great God, who never breaks His covenant, will release the amazing harvest He promised you. Abundant blessings are coming!
This past Saturday afternoon, the entire Hobbs crew was outside in cold, rainy weather at a college football game. While we were watching the game from the stands, the temperature dropped into the 40s, and the conditions were miserable.
My husband Kenya leaned over to me and said, “The only ones who are here are the ones who really love the players.”
I laughed. He was right, because had our son Kedar’s team not been playing, I promise you we would not have been outdoors wearing those plastic rain ponchos and trying to ignore how cold we were! Even though Kedar’s team lost again in a blowout defeat, we were still there, faithfully cheering, whooping and hollering to encourage the team and celebrate the good plays. There were some of those.
After the game was over, I was so happy to get back into our warm family minivan. And our way back home, my daughter Kaiah said to me, “You always say you love the rain until you have to be in it.”
I chuckled and told her that she wasn’t wrong. She made a good point—so good, in fact, her words inspired this very Cup of Inspiration. I do enjoy rain in theory. When I’m home on a lazy afternoon, seeing gray skies and hearing rain gently tap-tap-tapping against the windowpane is quite relaxing. The sights and sounds of rain, so long as it isn’t getting on me, are kind of nice.
I also love the snow—in theory. It’s so pretty to look at. But, having to drive or stand outdoors in it when temperatures are frigid, well, not so much. And if my hometown, Buffalo, NY, is known for anything, it’s heavy snowfall!
I remember one time going to a Buffalo Bills football game in the middle of a snowstorm. My seat was blanketed in white, fluffy flakes. No sooner than I’d brush them away, more fell. So, I was sitting on snow-covered, icy seats, shivering and counting down the minutes until it was all over.
I discovered that watching from home is way more fun for me. Having been outdoors during unfavorable conditions, I have a real respect for diehard fans that show up repeatedly, come rain or shine, simply for the love of the game. They’re the real MVPs!
I think, both naturally and spiritually, we are more likely to embrace seasons, processes, and conditions if they don’t inconvenience us or force us into uncomfortable situations. Consider what it takes to follow Jesus—really follow Him—rain or shine. That’s something lots of folks are only willing to do in theory because following Jesus requires you to go through hard things. It's not something you do part-time, only when it’s sunny and there are no clouds in the sky. It requires being all in. It demands sacrifice which plenty folks in this modern age aren’t interested in.
But here’s the thing. Today’s believers aren’t much different than the ones who followed Jesus around in Bible days. Even then, He had lots of curious fans but not nearly as many committed followers. The masses would show up in the places Jesus was because He could heal them, feed them, and free them from evil spirits. They were interested in the benefits but not so much sold out to the cause. Even folks in Jesus’s family weren’t sold-out believers.
In Mark 3:20-34, in Galilee, Jesus has been traveling, teaching, and drawing huge crowds from various regions. The atmosphere is charged with excitement and curiosity, but also some tension because of Jesus's miracles and challenges to traditional religious teachings.
In this passage, Jesus's family comes looking for Him because they have heard about these odd things that He’s doing, like performing miracles and exorcisms. They are confused about some of the weird things that He’s saying, too, like He has the power to forgive sins and that His origin is not of this earth.
So, Jesus’s own family staged an all-out intervention. My overactive imagination envisions their peers and acquaintances egging them on, telling them, Jesus is out there wilding out! Go get Him, please. He’s saying and doing some craziness. We think He has gone off the deep end. If you love Him, medicate Him immediately. Jesus needs some Prozac!
Here Jesus is challenging the religious authorities with revolutionary teachings that seem dangerous and blasphemous. To make matters worse, Jewish teachers of the law pile on claims that Jesus’s ability to cast out demons is fueled by demonic power.
With a reputation like that, you can easily see why so many people were hesitant to openly become a disciple of Jesus and fully embrace His teachings. Being a fair-weather follower was way more attractive than being a faithful disciple. People wanted all the benefits but none of the sacrifice.
And look, I get it. Stormy weather followed Jesus wherever He went. Storms of controversy. Storms of criticism. Storms of hatred. Therefore, the masses loved Jesus in theory, the way I love the rain and snow, but they stopped short of willingly stepping into the storm and being negatively impacted by it.
C.S. Lewis, a renowned theologian, contextualized the conundrum that people in Jesus’s day were dealing with by proposing a trilemma. A trilemma is a situation where a difficult choice must be made between three alternatives—thus “tri”— and these were that Jesus was either a lunatic, a liar, or Lord. Of course, we know that Jesus is Lord and so did Lewis, but he was painting a picture here.
Lewis’s concept suggests that based on Jesus's teachings and claims about Himself, He can only be categorized into one of these three options. If Jesus were a lunatic, then He would be delusional and mentally ill, and not worthy of being followed. If He were a liar, then He intentionally deceived people with false claims of divinity. However, if Jesus was indeed who He claimed to be, the Lord and Messiah, then Jesus’s teachings, miracles, and sacrificial death serve as indisputable evidence of His true identity.
C.S. Lewis masterfully argues that dismissing Jesus as a lunatic or liar ultimately leaves us with no reasonable way to explain the impact that His life and teachings have had on history. And therefore, he challenges readers to recognize Jesus as Lord, the Son of God.
“Jesus is real! He is yet alive today. His power is at work. And because you trust Him, you will receive an abundant harvest of blessings!”
For sold-out believers like you and me, there is no other alternative. We are willing to step into the storm, and we understand what Jesus meant in Matthew 16:24, when He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
In Greek, that word “deny” that Jesus uses is “Aparneomai” (Pronounced ap-ar-neh'-om-ahee ). It means to forget one's self, lose sight of one's self and one's own interests. When you follow Jesus and exchange your comfort for the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, and live every day to please the Lord, there are benefits to doing that.
Here’s the good part. In Mark 10:28, Peter, a disciple of Jesus, said to Him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
Jesus replied with a powerful promise that still applies to you and me when we willingly deny ourselves and follow Him. Jesus says that whatever we give up and sacrifice in service to His Kingdom, we will “receive a hundred times as much in this present age” (vv. 29-30). Talk about sowing into the Kingdom and then reaping an abundant harvest and manifold blessings that you don’t have enough room to receive!
So listen, sure, I know we should expect trouble, persecution and suffering. It’s a part of being a disciple. But we should also confidently anticipate blessings because Christ made a promise, and He always keeps His covenant. I love the way Deuteronomy 7:9 says this same thing in the Living Bible: “Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God who for a thousand generations keeps his promises and constantly loves those who love him and who obey his commands.”
Because we know God keeps His promises—and He promises to bless you for being faithful to Him—you can rejoice right now despite what it may look like, how you may be feeling, or what you may be going through.
Friend, through this word today, God is saying, expect Him to do even more for you. Be on the lookout for overwhelming blessings. Let the promises in God’s word and not your problems shape your perspective. God is lifting your head, encouraging your heart and assuring you right now in your spirit that your suffering is not in vain. Sure, He knows life has been bitter at times, but He promises to make it better. He’ll make it alright!
He’ll bless you. He’ll restore you. He’ll renew and replenish you. He’ll honor your sacrificial service and your willingness to humble yourself for the sake of the Kingdom. He will compensate your losses. He’ll see to it that you reap a harvest from the seeds of faith you have planted. He’ll increase you. You can bank on that because God never breaks a promise. He cannot lie. He is always faithful to perform His word.
To prepare you for your abundant harvest of blessings, I’m stirring the first portion of Psalm 115:12 as the sweetener in your cup of inspiration. It says, “The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us;”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, look for the abundant blessings that are coming your way for your faithfulness. For your perseverance. For your loyalty. For your sacrifice. For your tears, He promises in Jeremiah 31:13, “For I will turn their mourning into joy.”
Joy is coming. Abundant blessings are coming. A new season of rewards, favor, and breakthroughs is coming because you have remained committed to your faith in Christ and steadfast in your walk with the Lord.
Now, let’s pray.
God, thank You for reminding me that You see my sacrifice, my commitment, and my love and devotion, and You will reward me for it. Though it gets hard sometimes, and others have abandoned the faith in stormy weather, my heart is totally committed to You. And since Your word promises to release abundant blessings in return for the sacrifices made for Your Kingdom, I rejoice for the harvest because You are a God who cannot lie. In Jesus’ name, I thank You. Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
