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This Week’s Devotional Topic
BLESSING OF GOD
When was the last time you considered the many blessings of God on you and your life? The term “blessed” or blessed in scripture can mean happy or happiness. For God to place a ‘blessing’ is to convey that happiness with a time frame that could be blessings for generations. As Christians, we can ask Him to bless others and/or ourselves. We have the privilege to communicate directly with God about others, family or friends, then as His Spirit makes details of His will clear to us, we pronounce that blessing upon them. I know of instances when believers have declared blessings on someone’s newborn, or a house or even a car or motorcycle and its rider. And we desire to bless the Lord with our worship and praises. Blessing the Lord is to lift Him up in praise and worship knowing that He is pleased, happy with that.
Please listen to examples from God’s word. Let’s start with the blessing of God upon Abram in Genesis.
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Consider the blessing of Israel upon his sons. Make a note of this passage and event described in Genesis chapter 49.
Genesis 49:1 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.”
Genesis 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to that son.
One very familiar passage recounts the teaching of Christ, we know as The Beatitudes.
Matthew 5:2-12 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Christ has told us to bless others, even your enemies.
Matthew 5:43-45 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Jesus blessing the food to feed over five thousand.
Matthew 14:19-21 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!
Christ in the upper room with the Disciples, what many refer to as “The Lord’s Supper”.
Matthew 26:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Saying “God bless you” when someone sneezes is so common that many don’t even think of it as a blessing. Please watch for opportunities to bless others and mean it sincerely as a request of God. Many, many times this has opened doors for me to share God’s love. Just yesterday, as a delivery person left a package at our front porch and was leaving, I shouted out “God bless you”. He turned back and emphatically replied to me “God bless YOU to”. He hurried off to his vehicle so that was our entire conversation but it spoke volumes. God had used me to bless a ‘brother in the Lord’. And his reply blessed me!
It is a true statement that our God is the source, the fount of every blessing!
This week’s Scripture:
Genesis 12:1-3; 49:1,28; Matthew 5:2-12, 43-45; 14:19-21 and Matthew 26:26-28
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