By Mitch Glover
For the Peninsula Clarion
I remember a spelling word challenge in elementary school. It was the word “arithmetic.” We learned a mnemonic, or a memory trick to help us out. It was an acrostic, a sentence with the first letter of each word spelling arithmetic; “A rat in the house might eat the ice cream.” Now what elementary kid wouldn’t have fun using that mnemonic?
Arithmetic is rarely heard anymore as a name for the subject. Now the shortened “math” is used. Math and spelling both can be challenging. I read that five out of four people will experience difficulty with math. Whatever.
God has no trouble with math, especially addition. Here are some Bible verses with the Lord adding his blessings and benefits.
“The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” Rich doesn’t necessarily mean in the monetary sense. The abundance of peace, comfort, joy, love and a host of other blessings add a richness to life. Sorrow is part of life’s experiences, and the Lord imparts ways to cope with it and come through it. Sorrow doesn’t have to be overwhelming and long lasting. God can replace sorrow with fullness of joy in his presence.
Jesus taught the multitudes about trusting God for needs. He mentioned the birds being fed and the lilies with their beauty without any extraneous effort on their part. He said your Father knows what you have need of. His promise is, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Faith in God’s word is the way to please him. Trust and believing combined with action and obedience make for a life of blessing. “How much more” is not a rhetorical question in Scripture, but a challenge to see what God can do. “Much more” is a phrase that occurs in the Bible many times to refer to what God can do for a person of faith. You can add much more to your faith.
Adding to faith is a topic Peter wrote about in his second letter. He said, “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” These additions are wonderful and work for our good. Peter added that these things can abound in the believer with further benefits of being fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Note that all of those additions to faith are positive and beneficial. There is nothing harmful or damaging in possessing those virtues. Instead, they enhance and add positive life experiences.
Luke 4:18 gives divine dimensions of the ministry of Jesus. He came to “heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” As the brokenhearted, captives, blind, and oppressed experience the ministry of Jesus Christ, negative things are removed, and wonderful blessings are added to their lives. Those things are still happening today. God can add incredible blessings to your life.
Mitch Glover pastors the Sterling Pentecostal Church. Sunday service at 11 a.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m. are livestreamed on Facebook. Visit sterlingpentecostalchurch.com.
