Eulogy is from a Greek word meaning praiseworthy or verbally blessed. For most of us, it is a speech or piece of writing that praises someone who has just died. In the Bible, it is often used about someone very much alive, in fact the Author of life. He eulogizes us and we eulogize Him:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us . . .” (Ephesians 1:3).
In the NT, I’m blessed or spoken well of in words that tell me who I am in Christ, and how much God loves me. I experience that blessing with a sense of joy and well-being. I’m blessed when He answers prayer and when I sense His presence. I’m also blessed with incredible care, provision, and direction for my life.
I bless Him with words of praise and with obedience, a form of praise because obedience declares that I trust Him — He is telling me truth; He is good, worthy of obedience and worthy of praise. God is limitless; so is our praise. Scripture is full of examples:
Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! (Psalm 66:20)
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. (Psalm 72:18)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)
As my devotional reading says, when God blesses us, it isn’t with praise. There is nothing praiseworthy in me. Like all people, I fall short of the glory of God. He does bless with deeds of kindness, but also with words. I am blessed when He tells me who I am in Christ and what He has done for me. As Peter wrote, God has caused me to be reborn, to have a living hope because of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. I am blessed because . . .
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21)
God declares the old me is gone and the new me is alive and belongs to Him, words of blessing. He says I am reconciled to Him, forgiven, and given a job to do — I am His ambassador, one of many. I also have His righteousness. God says these things because they are true. I need to hear them because I so easily forget!
For all this — the goodness of God and the words that transform and build my life — I am thankful. Sunday’s message encouraged us to thank God, to bless Him for the good things of 2022. I’m overcome with joy as He reminds me, yet also humility. Who am I to deserve such blessing? However, He gives blessing because of who He is, not because of who I am.
The devotional suggests praising God for ten blessings He has granted in recent days. Right now, this is easy. I am blessed with a wonderful spouse who takes care of me and so many other things, with long and lovely conversations with our three adult children, calls and texts from the grandkids, thoughtful gifts under the tree, a break in the severe cold weather, unexpected answers to prayer for reading material, a fun competition on Christmas day, helpful ideas for creative tasks, conversations with distant relatives, good health, deep joy, travel plans for January . . . more than ten, much more. Thank You Jesus, from one who feels like God’s spoiled brat. You are the One deserving all praise. Certainly, all that I am and have are gracious gifts from You.
CHECK OUT: Ephesians 1, Romans 6:20-23, Psalm 66:16-20; 72:17-19, Psalm 103, 1 Peter 1:3-9, 2 Corinthians 5:17–21
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