God's Blessings

The blessings of the Lord bring wealth,
and He adds no trouble to it.
-Proverbs 10:22 (NIV)

The blessings of God are the only true commodity that can fill us so completely that we become full and rich, internally rich. But does "blessing" mean riches like money or health or beauty or popularity? No. These things can give us temporary happiness, but temporary is the key word. These things don't last, and they can't give us lasting satisfaction either. Through the years, Hollywood icons from Marilyn Monroe to Brittany Spears have been tragic illustrations. A picture is worth a thousand words. They had all the money, beauty, and popularity this world offers, but definitely those girls had troubles, lots of troubles.

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So what is "blessing"? Literally it means God's favor - his smile on your life, his pleasure. And most of all, the greatest blessing is his presence, his friendship. His presence brings peace and joy even when times are hard. He conforms us in times of pain and gives us strength when we are weak. These are the things that the world isn't selling and money just can't buy.

Paul the apostle is such a perfect picture of this. When he was in a Roman prison, he said, "I have learned to be content" (Philippians 4:11 NIV). It's been said that "contentment isn't getting what you want but wanting what you have."

-From The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional by Debbi Bryson; March 2

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