Why Aren’t God’s Blessings Happening for Me?

Brother Richie Juatco: “User error” is a nice way of saying, “Nothing is broken; you’re just doing it the wrong way.” It usually means the problem isn’t the system but the person operating it. Now this idea isn’t new. Misunderstanding the real cause of a problem happens in many parts of life, even our spiritual lives. So how can this way of thinking help us find the answer to the question: Why am I not receiving God’s blessings? Are God’s blessings conditional? 

Stay with us. This is what we’ll be studying today, here on The Message. 

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God’s Blessings Aren’t Happening: User Error?

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The Message

Brother Richie Juatco: Hi. Thank you for joining us. I’m Brother Richie Juatco.

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Brother Mark Vasquez

Minister of the Gospel

Brother Richie Juatco

Minister of the Gospel

Brother Mark Vasquez: And I’m Brother Mark Vasquez.

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God’s Blessings Aren’t Happening: User Error?

Brother Mark: When it comes to getting help or seeking blessings from God, our Creator, contrary to popular belief, He does not bless unconditionally. In fact, God provides us with a whole Bible of His conditions and instructions in order to receive His help, guidance, and blessings.

But what is the simple instruction or one command that we should always keep in mind to get His help, Brother Richie?

God’s Requirement for Blessing [01:04]

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What commandment should we keep in mind to receive God’s help?

Brother Richie: For that answer, let’s go to what’s recorded in the Book of Jeremiah. We’ll read from chapter 7, verse 23, and it says this,

but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.

[Jeremiah 7:23 New International Version]

Brother Richie: Here God gives a simple instruction or command. What is it that He said? He said, “Obey me.” Now, what does that mean? Well, He’s the one that clarifies, “Walk in all the ways I command you.” So obedience to Him is the condition God is requiring. What would be the result from our obedience to all the ways God commands? He’s the one that said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Now, what does that mean for our lives? He said, “that it may go well with you.”

Brother Mark: Brother Richie, what does that mean that all will go well with us if we obey God?

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How will all things go well with us if we obey God?

The Blessings That Follow Obedience [02:15]

Brother Richie: Well, let’s keep getting the Bible’s explanations. We’ll read now from what’s written in Deuteronomy. We’ll read from chapter 28, verse[s] 1 to 5 and verse 8, 

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

[Deuteronomy 28:1-5 and 8 New International Version]

Brother Richie: Now the Bible illustrates just how well our lives would be due to our obedience to God. We read, “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands… All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you.”

Brother Mark: Brother Richie, what was the Bible referring to when it said, “All these blessings will come upon you?” 

Brother Richie: Well, we read, “You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.” So the blessings will actually follow us. We don’t need to chase them. They will accompany us wherever we go. Now what else? We read, “The fruit of your womb will be blessed.” So the blessing of God will be seen even in our families. 

Now, how can one sustain a growing family? What else will God bless? We read, “the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.” This is regarding the livelihood of His people. The blessings will overflow so that they will never lack in what they need. 

Brother Mark: Brother Richie, what else would the Lord God bless? 

Brother Richie: There’s even more, right? We read, “The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.” So the blessings of God will bring success on every endeavor we put our effort in. Now these blessings will definitely cause our lives to go well.

When Blessings Don’t Come [04:44]

Brother Mark: Brother Richie, there might be some of our friends that are joining us right now, and they might be thinking, “But what if these blessings don’t come into my life?” Well, let’s ask, what if these blessings don’t come into the life of someone? Does it mean that God is not true to His word? Maybe that’s where the problem is.

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What must be understood regarding God’s words?

Brother Richie: Is that where the problem is? Is that how we should think? Now, what should we understand about God’s words? Let’s keep learning. We’ll read here from what’s written in II Samuel, chapter 7, the verse is 28. Here the Bible says,

“And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

[II Samuel 7:28 New King James Version]

Brother Richie: The Bible clearly states, “O Lord…, You are God, and Your words are true.” So God’s Word is the truth, as also written in John 17:17. So if God’s words say something will happen—for sure it will happen.

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God’s Blessings Aren’t Happening: User Error?

Brother Mark: But what if, Brother Richie, one of our friends that are joining us today, might say to themselves, “But I am obeying God. I am obeying, but why are all these blessings, why am I not experiencing them? Why aren’t they happening for me?” 

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What does Christ teach us about ourselves?

Brother Richie: Well, that’s when we really have to think. Is that really the case, the way that they are assessing? You know, instead of entertaining the possibility that the problem or issue is with God and His words, there is something that we should understand even about ourselves. What is it that the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us about ourselves? Well, read from what’s written in Matthew, 26 and the verse is 41. Our Lord Jesus Christ says, 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

[Matthew 26:41 New King James Version]

Brother Richie: Here the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us to “Watch and pray.” Now why is it necessary for us to do this? He said, “lest you enter into temptation.” Now, when things do not happen the way that we planned, there is actually a temptation to look for someone to blame. 

Brother Mark: You know, Brother Richie, and to our friends joining us, that’s unfortunate. There are some people, and actually many people do not have the humility or tendency to first examine themselves before they cast blame. 

Brother Richie: That’s correct. And that’s why what is it that our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us about ourselves? He’s the one that said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” So even though we know what we’re supposed to do, we might know God’s commands, and we know that we’re supposed to obey them, but we as flesh or human are weak. We are flawed. We make the mistakes—not God. 

Brother Mark: The Lord God will never make a mistake, but we could see that people make mistakes. For example, there might be some that know very well that the Lord God prohibits His people to engage in vices, yet they still do, thinking that once in a while it’s not harmful. 

And for example, as well, the Lord God has an instruction regarding the role in the family. But some might feel it’s too old-fashioned, that there’s another way or maybe even a better way to have a family dynamic. 

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God’s Blessings Aren’t Happening: User Error?

Brother Mark: We also know, and it’s very clear in the scriptures, that serving the Lord God, worshiping Him, and even performing a Church duty, that that’s a priority in life. But there are some who still neglect their duties and other duties to the Lord God in heaven. 

Brother Richie: That’s right. You know, with these types of situations, when one properly examines the reason why one fails to receive God’s blessings, it should be clear that the error is not in God’s words. What is it that God teaches after noticing the failure of some to receive His blessings? 

The Real Consequences of Disobedience [08:44]

What is it that our God Himself, He says when He sees that there are some that He wants to give them blessings, but they’re not able to receive them? 

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Why do some fail to receive God’s blessings?

Brother Mark: You’re right, Brother Richie. The Lord God is never the One at fault. So let’s read from the Scriptures in Isaiah, 48, verse 17 to 18. Why is it that there are some who fail to receive these blessings of the Lord God? Isaiah 48:17 until 18,

The holy God of Israel, the LORD who saves you, says: “I am the LORD your God, the one who wants to teach you for your own good and direct you in the way you should go. “If only you had listened to my commands! Then blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry! Victory would have come to you like the waves that roll on the shore.

[Isaiah 48:17-18 Good News Bible]

Brother Mark: Notice how God described Himself in these verses. He said, “I am the LORD your God, the one who wants to teach you for your own good and direct you in the way you should go.” So God’s teachings and directions should be viewed positively, because He wants to guide us and bless us.

Brother Richie: Now, how much blessings does God want to give His people? 

Brother Mark: Well, the Bible said here, “blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry! Victory would have come to you like the waves that roll on the shore.”

Brother Richie: Wait a second, Brother Mark. How come God said blessings would have come to you? How come they didn’t come? What prevented the blessings from coming to God’s people?

Brother Mark: Well, some people didn’t experience this because they didn’t meet the condition that God gave. Well, the Lord God said here, “If only you had listened to my commands!” So the obedience that God required, it was not properly met. Even though people insisted that God’s requirement was met, obedience was given, yet blessings did not come, it must be understood that, according to the Bible, not receiving God’s blessings is proof that one may not have been obeying fully. 

Brother Richie: Now, this would be the case of what we mentioned earlier of “user error.” This is why it’s very important to be able to properly assess our situation and be aware of our own weaknesses and deficiencies. Now, what if people mistakenly think they don’t need God’s blessings—or even worse—they don’t need God at all and His ways? Brother Mark, when we do not obey God, is the result merely not receiving His blessings?

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What happens if we don’t obey God’s commandments?

Brother Mark: Oh, people would be missing out on so much more. Let’s read that now here in the book of Jeremiah. We’ll read 14 and the verse is 10,

But the Lord replies: You have loved to wander far from me and have not tried to follow in my paths. Now I will no longer accept you as my people; now I will remember all the evil you have done and punish your sins.

[Jeremiah 14:10 Living Bible]

Brother Mark: Here we see that there is another consequence for not obeying or following the way that the Lord God commands. The result is not just failing to receive His blessings. 

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God’s Blessings Aren’t Happening: User Error?

Brother Richie: Now there is something that we have to take notice of, because in the very first verse we read earlier, God stated that the blessings of obeying Him, He said, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.” Now we have to understand, although God is the Creator of all people, He has set aside His own people. Now to be included amongst those God considers as His people—one has to obey Him. 

Now, in this verse that was just read, if one is already part of His people but then make it a habit of not obeying God or living their lives in contrast to what God intended, what was the consequence again, Brother Mark?

Brother Mark: The consequence God said here, “I will no longer accept you as my people.” So people can actually lose the privilege of being with the Lord God in heaven. 

Brother Richie: So what will God do to those he does not consider to be His because of their disobedience?

Brother Mark: Well, He said here, “now I will remember all the evil you have done and punish your sins.” Therefore, not obeying God will result in receiving His punishment instead of His blessings. 

How to Continue Receiving God’s Blessings [13:20]

Brother Richie: Now, this might be obvious to those who already, they are focused on trying to receive God’s blessings. Now, they might have already received some of God’s blessings in the past and are wondering why the blessings stopped. So, based on the Bible, Brother Mark, what does one need [to] continue to do so that they can keep receiving God’s blessings?

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What should we do to receive God’s blessings?

Brother Mark: If we want to continue to receive the blessings of God, let’s consult the Bible again and let’s find out. Here in the Book of James, we’ll read 1 and we’ll read verse 25. This is what it teaches,

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

[James 1:25 New King James Version]

Brother Mark: The Bible teaches that the one “who looks into the perfect law of liberty,” and this is God’s law, His commands, His teachings, and His instructions.

Brother Richie: Brother Mark, are the ones mentioned there, are they merely looking into God’s law, are they only understanding God’s law? What else is needed? 

Brother Mark: It says here, “and continues in it.” And what does that mean? We read, “is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work.” Therefore, we need to continue to obey, or do the work our God commands. We cannot merely obey only for a certain period of time or pick and choose which command to obey.

Brother Richie: Now, if one continued to learn God’s command and followed or obeyed what God wanted, what would be the outcome of that? 

Brother Mark: Well, the Bible states here, “this one will be blessed in what he does.” For those listening and thinking, “I want to keep learning God’s law and His will for me so that I can be blessed, I could receive His blessings. But how can I go about learning His will?” Brother Richie, what is God’s command to people who are ready and willing to learn and obey His teachings so that they could be blessed? 

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Who should we go to in order to learn God’s will?

Brother Richie: Let’s read what’s recorded in the Bible. We’ll read from Malachi, chapter 2, and the verse is 7. You know, that’s actually a very good point for a person to be in. They want to know God’s will. They realize they need to follow His commands so that they can receive the blessings. Where would they go? Let’s read from what it says here. It says,

It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the LORD Almighty.

[Malachi 2:7 Good News Translation]

Brother Richie Here God’ teaches, He said, “to learn my will… People should go to them.” 

Brother Mark: When the Bible said, Brother Richie, “People should go to them, ” who is He talking about? Who is He referring to that people should go to, to learn His will?

Brother Richie: Well God is the One that said, ”they are the messengers of the Lord Almighty.” Now what will the true messengers of God teach? We read that they will “teach the true knowledge of God.” Therefore, people should not listen to or follow just anyone who says they are teaching God’s commands, but rather they should seek out and learn from God’s messengers because they are the ones God will utilize to teach.

Brother Mark: So, Brother Richie, since we should listen to the messengers sent by the Lord God in heaven, where is it that we could hear the teachings of the messenger who teaches the words of our Lord God in heaven? 

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Where can we go to hear the teachings of God’s messenger?

Brother Richie: That’s a good question. Let’s read from what’s recorded in Isaiah, chapter 2, the verse is 3. Listen to what God’s people say. It says,

Many people will come and say, “Let’s go to the mountain of the LORD God of Jacob and worship in his temple.” The LORD will teach us his Law from Jerusalem, and we will obey him. 

[Isaiah 2:3 Contemporary English Version]

Brother Richie: Here we see where God’s people go in order to learn God’s words and on what occasion they go there. What is it that God’s people say? We read, “Let’s go to the mountain of the LORD God of Jacob and worship in his temple.” So God’s people go to His temple to worship him. Now why do they gather in His house or temple for worship service? We read, “The LORD will teach us his Law.” 

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God’s Blessings Aren’t Happening: User Error?

Brother Richie: Therefore, people who want to keep learning God’s law and His will, in order to receive His blessings, should go to God’s house when God’s people worship Him. It is during the worship service that God will teach His people His laws through His messengers. 

Brother Mark: You know, Brother Richie, it’s so clear that the worship service is so important. 

Brother Richie: That’s right. 

Brother Mark: So for all those watching and listening to these biblical instructions, we give you an open invitation to join us in our worship services in any of the houses of worship of the closest local congregations to you. Experience for yourselves and listen to God’s laws being taught inside the Church Of Christ. 

Lifelong Obedience [18:24]

Brother Richie: And more than merely listening to and learning God’s teachings, what should we do once we learn God’s will? Well, we read, God’s people said that “we will obey him.” So God’s people obey God, and they do this by obeying His laws. 

Brother Mark: But, Brother Richie, when we obey the commands of the Lord God, what kind of conviction should we have? How strong is the conviction of God’s people when it comes to making sure they are always in obedience to God?

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How committed are God’s people to obeying His commandments?

Brother Richie: Let’s go to what’s recorded in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 119, we’ll read from, verse 112. Listen to the conviction of God’s people. It says, 

I have decided to obey your laws until the day I die.

[Psalm 119:112 Good News Bible]

Brother Richie: So God’s people, like this servant, make a firm decision and promise to God something. What promise or vow do they make to God? We read that “I have decided to obey your laws.” For how long will a true servant do this to God? It says “until the day I die.” 

Brother Mark: That’s why, to all of our friends joining us, if this is our conviction and we learn to love obeying God by following His commands, not doubting them when things do not go our way, Brother Richie, what would be the result in our lives if we do this?

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What is the result if we learn to love God’s commandments?

Brother Richie: Let’s, let’s keep learning from Psalm 119. But let’s just go to verse 165. Here it says,

Those who love your law have perfect security, and there is nothing that can make them fall.

[Psalm 119:165 Good News Bible]

Brother Richie: This is the blessing we hope and pray for, not just for ourselves, but for all those watching. We want all of us to have what the Bible says, “perfect security.” Now, how does the Bible describe people with perfect security? We read, “there is nothing that can make them fall.” Who are the ones God will bless with this kind of security? The Bible clarifies, ‘Those who love [God’s] law.”

Brother Mark:  For those not yet of the same faith but keeping an open mind, we encourage you to keep learning more of God’s written words taught here inside the Church Of Christ. Come visit a congregation near you. Or if you want, ask us a question now by clicking the link in the description and inquire how to listen to the basic teachings of the Bible. 

Brother Richie: And if you are already going through those lessons, or wherever you are in your spiritual journey, make sure that your journey does not stop here. Keep watching, keep growing with us, and stay constantly tuned in to The Message. 

On behalf of all of us here at The Message, we’re very grateful for you joining us in this episode. But before we conclude, please join us for a short prayer.

Brother Mark: Our loving Father in heaven. You are our Creator. You are the one Who gives us all good things, and we place our trust in You, that You can be the One to bless us. Which is why together we beg of You to please bless Your people. Help us to have a heart that’s willing to obey Your commandments, so that we will be able to experience all of these wonderful blessings that You taught us this day.

Help us, Father, to be humble, to examine ourselves. And if there are any changes You want to be seen in us, please allow us to realize these things and to put into practice all of Your commands, So that every day when we do live our life, You will become our first priority and we will always follow Your commands, no matter what we experience in this life.

Our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, You were and are the most obedient to our Father. So we pray, Lord Jesus, that You will give us strength. Teach us to be able to follow the will of the Father unconditionally, so we can meet the requirements of the Father, and we will receive His blessings even in this life. But in those moments that we are weak, may You please give us strength, Lord Jesus, and help us to overcome all temptations, so that we could put Your will and the will of our Father above all other things. 

Father in heaven, we have faith that You will bless all of us. And if there are any challenges in our life, any tests that we’re going through, please help us go through all of these things, remembering Your will and Your commandments.

Please also bless above us the Church Administration. Bless Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. Together with him please bless Brother Angelo Eraño V. Manalo. 

Thank You for listening to our prayer. We pray these things in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

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