Blessed by God in many ways

The Dead Sea Scrolls will be on display in San Diego from June 29-December 31, 2007. They are so named because of their discovery in caves near the Dead Sea. These amazing Scrolls provide a unique look into the ancient world and are well worth a trip to the San Diego Natural History Museum. Leaving the Scrolls aside, focus for a moment on the Dead Sea, for which they are named.

The Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee and then out, eventually making its way into the Dead Sea, where it can go no further. The Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee stand in stark contrast to one another. As the water of the Jordan flows in and out of the Sea of Galilee, it is teeming with life. Not so, the Dead Sea. It is at earth’s lowest point, 1371 feet below sea level. It has a salinity of over 30%, which is 8.6 times saltier than the average ocean. It is called “dead” because no fish or normal aquatic life can live in it, but only miniscule quantities of bacteria and fungi.

These two “seas” parallel life. Like the Jordan River, God’s blessings flow into our lives. Yet, we often want to horde them and keep them for ourselves. Such an attitude brings death to us and prevents us from being a source of life for anyone else. The call of Jesus is for us to be like the Sea of Galilee. As God’s blessings flow to us and through us, not only are we filled with life, we bring life to others as well.

I encourage you to pause and think about your life. What blessings is God currently bestowing upon you? What are you doing with them? How are they helping others? How are they glorifying Jesus Christ?

The fact is, we have been blessed by God in many ways. We have many earthly treasures and we have the greatest treasure of all – Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Let all of us who are so rich and filled with these blessings of God ponder and apply the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy:

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18

May the life of the Lord Jesus be in each of us, for He rescues us from death (the Dead Sea) and gives us life now and in eternity (the Sea of Galilee)!