How should we enjoy the blessings we receive?

“They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.  But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.” (Nehemiah 9:25-26)

During the first week of this month, during the Friday and Saturday prayer meeting, I consecutively praised God with the hymn "When Upon Life’s Billows.”  I particularly focused on verses 1 and 2, emphasizing that when faced with the storms of life, and when burdened by worldly anxieties, we should count the blessings that the Lord has granted us.  I shared that I have come to realize that it's not when life is free from storms, worries, and troubles, but rather when we face great tempests, difficulties, and even crises, that we should count the blessings bestowed by the Lord.  I encouraged the members of the church to reflect on the blessings that God has granted each of us, our families, and our church as a whole.  Especially, I urged them to pray, keeping in mind the passage from Nehemiah 9:22-24.  I emphasized that the remarkable grace of God was evident when, despite the Israelites not deserving the blessings, God, as promised to Abraham, not only gave them the land of Canaan ("land" is mentioned seven times in verses 22-24) but also allowed them to take possession of all the beautiful possessions of the Canaanite people, including "houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance" (v. 25) (blessings of material wealth).  Furthermore, God made them as numerous as the stars in the sky, just as He had promised Abraham (v. 23).  God also ensured that the Israelites, who had been enslaved in Egypt, would become masters in the promised land of Canaan, while the Canaanite peoples would serve them (v. 24).  With such material and spiritual blessings, how did the Israelites enjoy the great blessings they received?

First, the Israelites squandered the great blessings that the Lord had given them.

Look at Nehemiah 9:25b - "...  and reveled in Thy great goodness."  Here, the term 'reveled' in English means "to take great pleasure or delight; to indulge in merrymaking or festivity; to engage in wild, noisy, or drunken revelry."  In Hebrew, the word carries the meaning of "to luxuriate," signifying extravagant living or indulgence, reveling in something with delight or pleasure.  In simple terms, the Israelites not only misused the blessings given by God but also wasted the great blessings bestowed upon them.  They became like the prodigal son in Luke 15, desiring the father's wealth (the "fat of the land" in verse 25) but not his will.  They allowed material wealth to dominate them.  Moreover, they did not manage the blessings from God wisely.  The Israelites lacked the proper faith and mature character needed to steward the blessings that God had granted them.

We can enjoy the blessings given by God, much like the Israelites did, and yet not find joy in the One who bestowed them.  Initially, when we think about the blessings from God, we express gratitude and find joy in Him.  However, as we gradually indulge and squander the blessings, we might fall into the trap of being addicted to the blessings themselves, rather than finding joy in the One who gave them.  In other words, while we delight in the gifts, the Giver of those gifts may not find delight.  We must avoid committing this sin.  Instead, we should find contentment and joy solely in the Lord, who is the source of the greater blessing—the ultimate source of all blessings.  Even if material blessings or prosperity bestowed upon us due to life's storms were to disappear, we should take it as an opportunity to count even greater spiritual blessings.  We should consider every spiritual blessing that God has granted us in Jesus Christ.  Therefore, let us sing praises, saying, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”: (v. 1) Come, Thou Fount of ev-'ry blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.  Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of God's unchanging love.

Second, the Israelites prioritized God's great blessing above God's commandments (His Word).

Look at Nehemiah 9:26: “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs.  They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.”  Here, we can find evidence that the Israelites, amidst enjoying the great blessings God provided, did not take joy in the Giver of those blessings.  Instead, they placed God's Word below the blessings He granted.  The Israelites, who were filled and satisfied" by God's great blessings, became prideful, leading them to disobey God and rebel against Him, committing the sin of ignoring the prophets who urged them to turn back to God and even killing them, thus committing awful blasphemies.  In other words, the Israelites committed the sin of placing God's Word beneath His blessings, which led to great blasphemies against God.  Isn't it astonishing?  The Israelites, instead of using the great blessings they received from God to bring great glory to Him, ended up committing grave offenses against Him.

We have a responsibility to glorify God greatly through the great blessings He bestows upon us.  As we receive great blessings, we also bear a great responsibility.  We must not use the blessings God grants us to merely satisfy ourselves and become bloated.  Instead, we should be led by God's Word.  In other words, we should live lives guided by God's Word, rather than being led by the blessings.  We must not live being led by blessings, but rather, we should live being led by God's Word.  In short, we should use the great blessings we receive from God for the glory of God.  We should use the great blessings bestowed upon us by God to fulfill His great commandments of loving God and loving our neighbors.  In doing so, we will be able to greatly glorify God through the great blessings we receive from Him.

We are living in a financially challenging world.  We are also living in a world where relationships with others are not easy.  Even if we may not have material wealth or worldly success, we must count all the spiritual blessings that God, through Jesus Christ, has graciously bestowed upon us.  And we should enjoy these blessings, but never misuse them.  We must not waste the great blessings given to us by God.  Furthermore, we must not prioritize the great blessings we receive from God above His Word.  Instead, we should use the great blessings we receive from God to bring great glory to Him.  To do this, we must base our actions on God's Word and use the blessings He has given us.  We should never put God's blessings before His Word.