Luke 12:32

Devotional Thoughts

By David Wilkerson

Many Christians have the mistaken notion that God delights only in chastising and correcting us. No! The Bible tells us that he takes no pleasure in disciplining his children. On the contrary, Jesus says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). He assures us, “I will give you everything you need because my heart is set on blessing!”

Nowhere in the Bible do we find Jesus cursing anyone. (The only thing he cursed was a fig tree.) No preacher, apostle, prophet or shepherd in history ever blessed people more than Jesus did.

Consider the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit … Blessed are those who mourn … Blessed are the meek … Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … Blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted” (see Matthew 5:3-10). Everywhere Jesus turned he blessed.

He took children in his arms and blessed them (see Mark 10:14). He blessed those who held feasts for the poor and crippled. “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (Luke 14:13-14).

It touches my heart deeply that Jesus’ last words before he left his disciples were words of blessing. Luke says that Christ “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” (24:45). And then: “He lifted up His hands and blessed them” (Luke 24:50).

At this point you may be thinking, “I can understand how the Lord would bless children or new converts or even Christians in poor countries who need miracles just to have food. But I can’t understand those kinds of blessings for myself. I feel so unworthy.”

Beloved, you will never be worthy of God’s blessings! No one is — but he comes to us strictly in his mercy and grace to bless us with spiritual blessings beyond our comprehension.