The Unseen Blessings of God

One of the most blessed experiences we can enjoy is the realization that the greatest blessings we receive from the Lord are the blessings we cannot see with our physical eyes.  Stop and think about it, our salvation, the forgiveness of our sins, is the greatest blessing we can receive from our Lord.... this we cannot see with our eyes.  The unseen blessings of God are not limited to our salvation, however.   Our ability to understand the Scriptures,  our faith, the leadership of the indwelling Spirit of God, conviction of our sin, the list goes on and on.  What would our life be like without these precious, yet unseen, gifts that are so graciously given to us by our Heavenly Father?

For years, as a younger Christian, I did not fully appreciate the unseen blessings of God in my life.  As I grow older, and hopefully, a bit wiser, I am beginning to place greater value in the unseen blessings of God.  Not only are the unseen blessings becoming more precious to me, but I am finding that the physical blessings have faded in comparison to the value and need of the unseen gifts of God.



In Psalm 4, King David reminds us of the great importance and value of the unseen blessings of God.

THE SCRIPTURES:

Ps 4:6-8 (KJV)

6) [There be] many that say, Who will shew us [any] good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.  7) Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time [that] their corn and their wine increased.  8) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

THE STUDY:

In our text, King David mentions three of the unseen blessings of God... gladness, peace, and safety.  All three of these cannot be seen with the eyes and are the results of the Lord's favor that He places upon His people:

6) [There be] many that say, Who will shew us [any] good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

7) Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time [that] their corn and their wine increased.

8) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

In the context, the beginning of verse 6 refers to an attitude of selfishness that existed in David's day and continues to exist today:

“There be many that say, Who will shew us any good?” 

A selfish, spiritually immature attitude is characterized by being concerned about RECEIVING visible blessings  instead of being content with the unseen things of God.

Here, the individual is asking, “What can I receive?”, “How can I get what is coming to me?”, “How can I be sure I get my fair share?”.

These questions  sound familiar to us all, don't they?    How many times have we seen this attitude in others lives?  We even see this attitude in the words and actions of many professing Christians.  And, if we are honest, we've seen this attitude pop up from time to time in our own lives.

David now turns our attention to the comparable, but God pleasing attitude we should all possess...

 “LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.”

Instead of being concerned “getting our fair share”, we should be concerned with having God's favor placed upon us.  David's concern was not centered on a selfish desire to not miss out on a physical possession, but his attention was focused upon the unseen favor of his Heavenly Father.

The word contenance refers to the “face” of God.  David, in essence wasn't asking for his “fair share”. He was asking for God to graciously look upon him, a sinful human being, and place the light of His presence upon King David and his nation.

David recognized the great value and blessing of being in a state of favor with God.  Even though this blessing cannot be seen, nor valued with the use of a calculator; possessing the knowledge that our Lord is looking upon us, giving us His attention and presence, is of greater value than all the riches this world has to offer.

After David compares the attitudes of those who understand the value of the unseen blessing of God with those who lack this understanding, he continues comparing visible blessings with the invisible blessings of God...

“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time [that] their corn and their wine increased.”

The unseen blessing David had received, gladness of heart, is a far greater blessing that the physical, visible blessings of receiving material possessions.  Please make no mistake about it... all of our material possessions come from our Lord.  They are gifts of His grace and of great value to us.  However, these pale in comparison to the spiritual, unseen blessings He has given to us.

David understood it was far better to have an empty stomach than to have an empty heart lacking joy and gladness. As Christians, if we value the unseen blessings of God, we can rejoice during times of physical loss; we can praise His name when we lack the physical possessions of life, knowing that our inward joy is a far greater gift than the food that we eat.

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”

Finally, David points to two other unseen blessings that he values greatly in his life... peace and safety.  Just knowing we are at peace with God, is a blessing that goes beyond our understanding (Phil 4:7).  How can a sinful, fallen man find peace with the Holy, Almighty, Just God of the Universe?   Recognizing we have graciously been given peace with God can never be fully comprehended.

David then touches on the ability to rest at night, stemming directly from the peace with God that he possessed.  What a blessing it is to be able to lie down in peace, knowing no matter what the world may put in our way, He will be with us, care for us, and enable us to face whatever the world may place in our path.

Finally, David emphasizes the great blessing of the unseen safety that we possess in our Lord.  He promises to protect us from anything that will harm us (He only allows what is for our good and His glory).  He will be with us through any trial, much like He accompanied the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace of the Babylonians (Daniel 3:).

But, most importantly, as His children, we possess eternal safety and security in Him.  Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are not facing eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire.  Although we deserve this separation and punishment, Jesus Christ took it upon Himself, being made a substitute for us.

It is because of this unseen blessing of God, that we can rest our hear at night, knowing, and not doubting, our eternal destiny has been made secure in His work.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

I am trusting the the Lord will these wonderful verses from His Word will help each of us to come to a greater understanding of the tremendous invisible blessings we possess, when we trust in Him for our salvation.

Although unseen, these blessings are, by far, the greatest possessions that man can possess on the face of the planet earth.  The next time we see our checkbook balance fading away, or we open the cupboard and see an empty shelf staring at us, let us praise Him for the great unseen blessings that we possess within us.  Our eternity is secure in Him.  We have invaluable rewards awaiting us in eternity.   His grace is sufficient to meet our every need.

When we receive bad news from our doctor, and the situation seems so hopeless, let's praise Him. No matter what physical affliction may be ravishing our body, lets look to Him  in appreciation, knowing that He may choose to heal us.  However, if He chooses to allow the affliction to continue, we can always know we have an unseen glorified body awaiting us throughout eternity.

These great blessings are possessed by those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation.  If you have any questions about salvation, I have a tab available on my blog that gives in depth information on what salvation is and what you must do to be saved.  Please click on this link for more information about salvation.

If you continue to have questions or concerns about your salvation, find a Bible-believing church in your area.  The Pastor would be glad to share Christ and the way of salvation with you.   If you feel more comfortable communicating through email, you are always welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.

May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.

 SIH Homepage:  http://www.settledinheaven.org