Called to Inherit a Blessing

Pastor Blake Cromwell and Ross Zimmerman
August '99

It is three o’clock in the morning, and I am lying in bed, wide awake. As thoughts of my sermon preparation for that particular week run through my mind, I find myself beginning to recall the many good days that I have seen in my life. In so many ways I can see the Lord's blessing upon my life in my family, my marriage, and in the churches I have pastored. As I am pondering these blessings, specific instances begin to surface in my mind, memories of good days.

It was a good day when I got married, when my children were born, when my wife Rena and I celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, and the day that I watched my son receive his Bachelor's Degree. It was a good day when I chose to forgive my dad, the day I learned to accept the things I can not change, and when I learned to laugh at myself. It was a good three weeks when I watched 8,000 people come and attend the drama Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames. There have also been good days when I have seen God heal members of my congregation from various afflictions.

As I am busily recording these thoughts, I recall Peter declaring to the church that they can "see good days." (1 Peter 3:10) In fact, he states that, as Christians, we have been "called to inherit a blessing." (vs. 9) It is the Lord’s plan for each of us that we be people who know His blessings in our lives.

As a pastor, I have seen so many people suffer through difficult days. A day in which a son was arrested, a parent lost, or a business venture failed. And yet I am challenged to the core with Peter's words, ‘You have been called to inherit a blessing.’ So the question is, how do I receive the blessing that the Lord has for me? As Peter continues to speak (vs. 10-12), he outlines five steps for our personal behavior that serve as a recipe or blueprint to inheriting the blessing. As we begin to take these steps and make changes in our attitudes and behaviors, the Lord is freed to release His blessing in our life.

DECIDE "He that would love life and see good days." Peter places the outcome of the day squarely in our power. It is really quite simple, we make the decisions that shape our destiny. The power of decision creates our attitudes, actions, and emotional health. One must make a decision to be happy, to embrace the good and bad in a day, and have a positive attitude towards life. A positive thinker once stated, "When life hands you a lemon, make some lemonade." Your happiness today is not dependent upon what happens to you, but how you respond to what is happening to you. An attitude of faith in God sees the best in every situation.

DOMINATE "Let him refrain his tongue from evil." If you want misery and heartache, go ahead and tell your boss how you feel about him in the heat of the moment. Gossip about your husband, talk bad about your mother-in-law, yell at your kid, and use profanity at your spouse. These are all important ingredients in the recipe for a miserable life. If we are to "see good days" we must harness the mighty muscle–the tongue. We must be careful with the words we say and how we say them. If we dominate it and speak kind and loving words, then we will reap the benefits of relational wholeness and "see good days."

DEPART "Let him turn away from evil". We must make a conscious decision daily to resist evil thoughts and plans. All of us have certain things within us, sinful behaviors and tendencies in the flesh that “so easily beset us.” We need to begin recognizing what those things are and make some hard decisions in growing up and departing from them. It is possible for us to grow old and never mature and God has called to be a people of maturity. We need to change. And change demands that we take an honest look at our lives. The Bible says, “resist the devil and he will flee from you,” so we must make conscious decisions daily to resist evil.

DO "Do good." We need to decide daily to do random acts of kindness. A random act of kindness is one that is motivated with the intent to please another–not for our own pleasure or selfish gain. In our relationship with Jesus Christ we have received the heart of servanthood. It could be said that there is nothing more satisfying to mankind than to serve another human being without the hindrance of selfish motives and intentions. Have you ever heard someone say how good they felt after serving food to the poor, or collecting clothing for the needy? It feels good because we have been created to do good to one another; but it takes a conscious decision on our part.

DEVELOP "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous." Verse twelve outlines three areas in which we need to develop our relationship with Jesus Christ. First, focus upon the Lord. It is hard to not focus on the problem when we are going through a cave experience. But we are told in this verse that the Lord is looking at us; His eyes are upon us. At times we may feel like God does not care. But if we focus upon Him, we will see that He also is focused upon us. Second, have faith in the Lord. His ears are open to our prayers. In the same way that a father’s ears are open to his children, to hearing their problems, hurts, and pains, so are the Lord’s ears open to us. God is not so busy that He is not listening to us. He even wants to answer prayers that we have not yet prayed because we have not put our faith in Him. Third, fear the Lord. We know that God is good all the time, but, when necessary, His goodness toward us is discipline and correction. The Bible teaches that the Lord disciplines those whom He loves, and He loves us too much to allow us to persist in our sin. Verse twelve says, "the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." God's grace does not cover sin that has not been repented of. If we are making excuses for not departing and dominating, then at some point God will put his face against us in discipline.

In this portion of scripture, Peter is speaking to a church that is experiencing difficult days. They are being persecuted for their faith and facing what appear to be impossible circumstances. You, as well, may be facing difficult days, walking through times of trial and tribulation. Peter's words ring as true to us today as they did when he wrote them. We have been called to inherit a blessing. By following God's blueprint, the five "D's," we can be assured of his peace and comfort even in the midst of difficult times.

If you would like to receive a free tape of this entire message, please contact Koinonia Christian Fellowship at 582-1528. And remember, the pastors of the King's County are waiting to see you in church this weekend so that they may encourage you and lift your eyes to the Lord.