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GOD’S BLESSINGS (NEW YEAR’S DAY)

SCRIPTURE READINGS

ECCLESIASTES 3:1-13
REVELATIONS 21:1-6a
MATTHEW 25:31-46

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is God’s blessings. God’s blessings are His physical and spiritual gifts bestowed upon us. We shall reflect on the fact that
there are two types of God’s blessings. These are
1. God’s existential blessings. (Temporary blessings)
2. God’s eschatological blessing. (Eternal blessing)

Beloved in the Lord, the first type of God’s blessings are His existential blessings. God’s existential blessings is available to all human beings. God, our creator knows our existential needs and therefore has provided us with existential blessings which are of a temporary nature. Existential or temporary blessings are meant to make our stay on earth enjoyable. Two things are constant in our human existence and these are change and God’s blessings. Change is constant therefore ” There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Regardless of the changes in times and regardless of the seasons we find ourselves in, God’s blessings are also constant in the lives of humankind. All he expects from us is to be good to one another as He is good to each one of us. It is for this reason that Solomon said, “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13) In other words, God’s existential or physical blessings are for all human beings to have their basic needs met. God has provided human beings with food, water, air, shelter and satisfaction from their work or business. Whether a person is a believer or not, good or bad, God’s existential or temporary blessings are made available to all so that our basic human needs will be satisfied. Jesus tells us that, “He (God) causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). Let us give glory to God and praise His name for the manifold blessings He has bestowed upon us in past years and the years to come. Praise the Lord!

Secondly, God’s second and more important blessing is His eschatological blessing. This blessing is the eternal life God will give to those who have been saved through our Lord Jesus Christ on the judgment day. The eschatological blessing is subject to our faithfulness to God and how we have been good stewards of His existential blessings. We are assured of God’s eschatological blessing when John wrote, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away…He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life Revelation 21:6 (Revelation 21:2-4) Beloved in the Lord, it is impossible to receive God’s eschatological blessing in the form of eternal life if we have not been good stewards of His existential blessings as believers. In other words, after God has provided us with His existential blessings, He will hold us accountable for how we have used our existential blessings to the benefit of others. God has blessed us to also be a source of blessings to others with existential needs. It is for this reason that Jesus said to His disciples “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:31-36). Beloved in the Lord, our faith and salvation must lead us to good works. In other words, although good works alone will not save us, our faith must produce good works that will please God. These good works are sharing the existential blessings of God with those who are in need even as we prepare to receive His eschatological blessings or eternal life. Let us not become consumed with greed and become materialistic or obsessed with the existential blessings of God and forget the more important blessing, the eschatological or eternal blessing. We are greatly admonished by Jesus, ” … do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33). God has assured of us His existential blessings in the new year and beyond, He will abundantly provide us with our basic necessities. All He requires from us is to be good and faithful stewards of His existential or physical blessings by sharing with those in need and also for the furtherance of His mission through the church. We are greatly encouraged by Paul when He wrote “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). In all things, we are mere stewards of God’s existential blessings working towards the reward of His eschatological or eternal blessings. Let us “continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

In summary, we have deliberated on the theme, “God’s blessings” We have discovered that there are two types of God’s blessings. These are God’s existential or temporary blessings which He gives to everyone, and God’s eschatological or eternal blessing which He gives to only those who are saved through Christ and have been good stewards of their existential or temporary blessing in the world. May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to keep our focus on the eschatological or eternal blessings of God even as we remain good stewards of His existential or temporary blessings. Amen.