BLESSING OTHERS
God said to Abraham, "That in blessing I will bless thee . . . in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:17-18). He was saying, "The reason I am blessing you, Abraham, is so that you can bless all the nations."
Obviously, very few of us are called to bless entire nations but each of us has a circle of family, friends and colleagues. How many in your circle are being blessed by what the Lord is doing in you? Are your friends and family being blessed by Christ in you?
When you start blessing others in the midst of your trials, you will know that God's hand of blessing is on you. This is what happened with David. When his enemies showed him no mercy, he testified, "Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice" (Psalm 109:28). David cried out to God for help and blessing as his enemies cursed him.
Jesus commands us: "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" (Matthew 5:44). If you can keep this word, you are surely blessed of the Lord.
Finally, those who are being blessed are being drawn ever closer to the Lord. God never blesses without drawing that person closer to Himself, urging, "Come closer to Me." Increasing nearness to Him is more of the blessing.
Perhaps you still say, "I see no evidence of God's blessing in my life. My life isn't marked by any of these things you've mentioned. How can I have God's blessing?"
Beloved, rejoice! Do you love His Word? Do you love coming to His house with other believers? Does your mind run to Jesus throughout the day? Do you talk to Him? If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, you can rest assured that He is drawing you, blessing you.
Obviously, very few of us are called to bless entire nations but each of us has a circle of family, friends and colleagues. How many in your circle are being blessed by what the Lord is doing in you? Are your friends and family being blessed by Christ in you?
When you start blessing others in the midst of your trials, you will know that God's hand of blessing is on you. This is what happened with David. When his enemies showed him no mercy, he testified, "Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice" (Psalm 109:28). David cried out to God for help and blessing as his enemies cursed him.
Jesus commands us: "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" (Matthew 5:44). If you can keep this word, you are surely blessed of the Lord.
Finally, those who are being blessed are being drawn ever closer to the Lord. God never blesses without drawing that person closer to Himself, urging, "Come closer to Me." Increasing nearness to Him is more of the blessing.
Perhaps you still say, "I see no evidence of God's blessing in my life. My life isn't marked by any of these things you've mentioned. How can I have God's blessing?"
Beloved, rejoice! Do you love His Word? Do you love coming to His house with other believers? Does your mind run to Jesus throughout the day? Do you talk to Him? If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, you can rest assured that He is drawing you, blessing you.