I grew up confusing blessings with luck. When one of your best friends in high school is an Irish Catholic and was one of the luckiest people I ever met, I had a good reason to be misled. However, as my knowledge of the Bible has increased, I now understand why blessings are bestowed upon human beings by God. Moses points this out in Deuteronomy 28:1-3 as blessings are a direct byproduct of obedience to God.
But the [d]Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! He answered, Here I am. 12 And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son, Genesis 22:11-12.
Depending upon where you are spiritually when you read this blog, levels of faith tend to fluctuate. No matter how disciplined you may be, internal feelings play a factor in your degree of faith. Sometimes a bad stretch of circumstances, called tough luck, puts your back to the wall as faith is challenged unlike anything before in your life. In the case of Abraham, this propelled him to fear God, resulting in extreme obedience and blessings.
The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 And said, I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son, 17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies, Genesis 22:15-17.
Jesus references this in the Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father, Matthew 6:5-15. Jesus places a similar condition on forgiveness. As long as you forgive the trespasses and transgressions of others, God will forgive you. Meanwhile, the apostle Paul compares this to the Sowing Principle in Galatians 6:5-8. Subsequently, as individuals adhere, listen and apply God’s Word, blessings will be bestowed by God. Become a doer of God’s Word and you’ll be surprised by the final outcome.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 