Thought for March 2

 History:

• 1799: Congress standardizes weights and measures
• 1819: First immigration law
• 1867: Department of Education created
• 1877: Electoral College elects Rutherford B Hayes over Samuel Tilden
• 1889: Kansas passes first anti-trust law in the US
• 1899: Mt. Ranier National Park created
• 1925: Nationwide system for road numbering and the US shield marker adopted
• 1930: The Catholic Hour premiers on radio
• 1933: "King Kong" premiers
• 1938: Martin Niemoller sentenced to 7 years by the Nazis
• 1946: Ho Chi Minh elected president of North Vietnam
• 1962: Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points 
• 1965: "Sound of Music" released
• 1968: Peggy Fleming wins third consecutive world title
• 1969: First flight of the Concorde
• 1983: Compact Disc recording introduced by Sony and Phillips
• 2004: Colts sign Peyton Manning to a 7-year $96 million contract
• Born: Sam Houston, Dr. Seuss, Mel Ott, Desi Arnaz, Mikhail Gorbachev, Tom Wolfe, Porky Pig, Denny Crum, Karen Carpenter, Laraine Newman [SNL], Ian Woosnam, Daniel Craig, Bryce Dallas Howard
• Died: John Wesley, DH Lawrence, Howard Carter [discovered King Tut's tomb], Dusty Springfield

Thought:

We are all familiar with the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. Read Matthew 5:1-12 this morning. If I want to be blessed by God today, here are some characteristics of those that God truly blesses:

• God blesses those that recognize their spiritual poverty and are made rich by the King. Think for a moment about the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. They are condemned for saying "we are rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing" when actually Jesus saw them as "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." This was the problem with the Pharisees. Today, I am blessed when I recall Psalm 8--when I consider who God is, what is man, who am I that God should pay any attention to or care about. The miracle is that God loves us and blesses us. Blessed are we when I seek the riches of His kingdom--seek first the Kingdom.  Listen to Psalm 8 being sung this morning.
• God blesses those that mourn over their sin and over the lostness of others. He blesses with comfort. Read Isaiah 40 this morning--Comfort My people. Play that section of Messiah. The comfort He brings to those that mourn over sin is forgiveness and restoration. As you read Isaiah 40 think about the comfort that comes from knowing a God that rewards [40:10], that shepherds [40:11], that is above all nations [40:17], that has all wisdom [40:13-14], who created heaven and earth [40:21-22, 26], who never tires and is never confused [40:28], who gives strength to us [40:31]. 
• God blesses those that pursue righteousness. Righteousness is God's way, God's thoughts, God's direction and path. It is right with a capital "R." It is not the world's right way, it is His Right way--a right way of thinking, a right way of acting. For He who knew no sin became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. And we are in constant pursuit of Righteousness--hunger for it and thirst for it. As the deer pants for the water, so our souls seek him. And the blessing--we are satisfied. He provides all that we need. We sing the old hymn--"I am Satisfied with Jesus." But the hymn ends with, "but the question comes to me as I think of Calvary, is my Master satisfied with me."

Lord, I want to be blessed--help me be constantly aware of who You are and who I am, help me recognize my sin and confess it, help me pursue You expectantly, joyfully, whole-heartedly--for You will bless. 

Blessings

Larry