BLESSING

BLESSING

SAMPLE BLESSINGS

WHAT IS A BLESSING? (Numbers 6:22-27)

May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

A BLESSING IS A HOPEFUL PRAYER (Ephesians 3:14-21)

I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. (Ephesians 3:17)

A blessing was one way of asking for God’s divine favor to rest upon others. The ancient blessing in these verses helps us understand what a blessing was supposed to do. Its five parts conveyed hope that God would (1) bless and keep them (bless and protect); (2) make his face shine upon them (smile); (3) be gracious; (4) turn his face toward them (show his favor); (5) give peace. When you ask God to bless others or yourself, you are asking him to do these five things. The blessing you offer will not only help the one receiving it, it will also demonstrate love, encourage others, and provide a model of caring to others.

CHRISTIAN GROWTH IS A BLESSING.

The family of God includes all who have believed in him in the past, all who believe in the present, and all who will believe in the future. We are all a family because we have the same Father. God is the source of all creation, the rightful owner of everything. He promises his love and power to his family, the church (Ephesians 3:16-21). If we want to receive God’s blessings, it is important that we stay in contact with other believers in the body of Christ. Those who isolate themselves from God’s family and try to go it alone cut themselves off from God’s power. But those who live within the body of Christ discover the blessing of Jesus becoming more and more at home in them.

GOD’S BLESSING

IN WHAT WAYS DOES GOD BLESS? (Genesis 12:1-7)

I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:3)

GOD BLESSES THROUGH HIS ETERNAL PLANS ( Ephesians 1:3-14)

How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

God planned to develop a nation of people he would call his own. He called Abram from the godless, self-centered city of Ur to a fertile region called Canaan, where a God-centered, moral nation could be established. Though small in dimension, the land of Canaan was the focal point for most of the history of Israel as well as for the rise of Christianity. This small land given to one man, Abram, has had a tremendous impact on world history.

God promised to bless Abram and make him great, but there was one condition. Abram had to do what God wanted him to do. This meant leaving his home and friends and traveling to a new land where God promised to build a great nation from Abram’s family. Abram obeyed, walking away from his home for God’s promise of even greater blessings in the future. God may be trying to lead you to a place of greater service and usefulness for him. Don’t let the comfort and security of your present position make you miss God’s plan for you.

JESUS IS GOD’S GREATEST BLESSING.

"Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” means that in Christ we have all the benefits of knowing God-chosen for salvation, being adopted as his children, forgiveness, insight, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do God’s will, the hope of living forever with Christ. Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these blessings now. The heavenly realms means that these blessings are eternal, not temporal. They are from Christ’s spiritual realm, not the earthly realm of the goddess Artemis. Other references to the heavenly realms in Ephesians include 1:20; 2:6; 3:10. They show Christ in his victorious, exalted role as ruler of all.

HUMAN BLESSINGS

  

IN WHAT WAYS CAN WE BLESS OTHERS?  ( Psalm 103)

 Praise the LORD, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. (Psalm 103:1)

WE CAN BLESS GOD (Genesis 49:1-28)

These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and these are the blessings with which Jacob blessed his twelve sons. Each received a blessing that was appropriate to him. (Genesis 49:28)

Everything everywhere is to bless the Lord: all angels-mighty ones and heavenly hosts-and all his works! Blessing God means remembering all he has done for us (103:2), fearing him and obeying his commands (103:17-18), and doing his will (103:21). Does your life bless the Lord?

David’s praise focused on God’s glorious deeds. It is easy to complain about life, but David’s list gives us plenty for which to praise God-he forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice. We receive all of these without deserving any of them. No matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings-past, present, and future. When you feel as though you have nothing for which to praise God, read David’s list.

WE CAN BLESS FAMILY MEMBERS (Luke 2:21-35)

 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, “This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” (Luke 2:34-35)

Jacob blessed each of his sons and then made a prediction about each one’s future. The way the men had lived played an important part in Jacob’s blessing and prophecy. There was a strong tradition at this time of a father passing on special blessings to his children. These blessings were a heartfelt expression of a parent’s hopes or vision for his children’s future. How often do you share with your children, spouse, or parents the wishes and prayers you make for their future?

WE CAN BLESS COMPLETE STRANGERS (Luke 6:27-36)

 Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. (Luke 6:28)

Although Simeon was very old, he had never lost his hope that he would see the Messiah. Led by the Holy Spirit, he was among the first to bear witness to Jesus. In the Jewish culture, elders were respected, so because of Simeon’s age, his blessing carried extra weight. Our society, however, values youthfulness over wisdom, and potential contributions by the elderly are often ignored. As Christians, we should reverse those values wherever we can. Encourage older people to share their wisdom and experience. Listen carefully when they speak. Offer them your friendship and help them find ways to continue to serve God. In this way you will bless and be blessed.

WE ARE COMMANDED TO BLESS OUR ENEMIES.

The Jews despised the Romans because they oppressed God’s people, but Jesus told the people to love and bless these enemies. Such words turned many away from Christ. But Jesus wasn’t talking about having affection for enemies; he was talking about an act of the will. You can’t “fall into” this kind of love-it takes conscious effort. Loving our enemies means acting in their best interests. We can bless them by praying for them, and we can think of ways to help them. Jesus loved the whole world, even though the world was in rebellion against God. Jesus asks us to follow his example by loving our enemies. Grant your enemies the same respect and rights that you desire for yourself.

GOD’S WORD ON BLESSINGS

Blessings have to do with both giving and receiving. We don’t talk much today about blessing others, but it was a vital part of life in Bible times. To bless someone meant many things. It meant to praise them, to pray for them, and to commit them to God’s care. It also meant to dedicate and challenge them to live forever committed to God; it was a challenge to keep hold of spiritual things. It was a call for abundance and prosperity for another. And it was also a way of officially passing on the family inheritance to the oldest son. Wishes for a rich and abundant life were inherent in a blessing, although not always abundance in a material sense. God was recognized as the ultimate source of the blessing, and the person blessed would walk with the Lord and receive his benefits. To receive God’s blessing meant not only to enjoy innumerable tangible gifts (life, joy, peace, abundance, children, home, reputation, health, freedom, work, food, etc.) but in a much deeper way to be welcomed into a special relationship with him, a relationship to be affirmed and practiced. Part of this, in turn, means being a blessing to others, a way of saying we have been a godly help for others.

WHAT KINDS OF BLESSINGS DOES GOD SEND MY WAY?

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 . . . You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God.

Psalm 139:17-18 . . . How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can’t even count them.

God’s blessings are too many to count or even mention. His blessings come to us every day, in every conceivable form.

Numbers 6:24-26 . . . May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.

Success and prosperity are not the most common blessings from God, but rather peace, comfort, joy, fellowship with God, hope, and eternal life with him.

BLESSINGS SOMETIMES COME IN STRANGE FORMS.

Acts 5:41 . . . The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.

James 1:12 . . . God blesses the people who patiently endure testing.

Sometimes the greatest blessings come from suffering or persecution because we have proven ourselves faithful to God.

BE THANKFUL FOR YOUR BLESSINGS.

Psalm 92:1-2 . . . It is good to give thanks to the Lord . . . to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.

God has given us far more than we will ever realize. Thank him for this before you become ungrateful and lose out on all he has yet to offer.

HOW CAN I BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS?

Galatians 5:22-23 . . . When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

If you share this fruit with other people you will be a great blessing to them.

Romans 1:11-12 . . . I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord. I’m eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.

2 Corinthians 2:14 . . . Thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume.

As we share the blessings God has poured on us, we bless others as well. Encouraging others with God’s good news is one of the most rewarding of his blessings.

HOW DO WE LIMIT GOD’S BLESSINGS TO US?

Numbers 20:12 . . . “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”

2 Samuel 12:7-14 . . . I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed?

We limit God’s blessings when we willfully sin and therefore hinder our relationship with God.

James 1:14-15 . . . These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.

We limit God’s blessings when we give in to temptation.

BLESSINGS CAN MAKE US FORGET GOD.

Deuteronomy 6:11-12 . . . When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

We must be careful that we don’t become so comfortable that we forget the God who gave us all we have.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES IN MY LIFE THAT BRING GOD’S BLESSINGS?

Psalm 128:1 . . . How happy are those who fear the Lord-all who follow his ways!

Psalm 146:5 . . . Happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

Jeremiah 17:7 . . . Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

A life focused on God brings joy to God and many blessings to you. Blessings from God come to those who trust and obey God. Blessings are not merely words spoken by a father, but a special relationship offered by God.

WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES COME WITH GOD’S BLESSINGS?

Deuteronomy 16:17 . . . All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.

As God prospers us, we are to share that prosperity in our giving. Receiving and giving go hand in hand.

BLESSINGS CAN BE NOT ONLY FOR FAMILIES AND SPECIAL PEOPLE, BUT ALSO FOR ENEMIES.

Romans 12:14 . . . If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.

Jesus brought a new idea-blessing and forgiveness for enemies. This is unique to Christianity. The natural response is revenge for enemies. Prayer for our enemies is a severe test of our devotion to Christ.

PROMISES FROM GOD:

Psalm 1:1 . . . Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.

Blessings come from obeying God.

Psalm 84:11 . . . No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right.

God blesses those who do what is right.

Proverbs 19:17 . . . If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord-and he will repay you!

God blesses those who help the poor.

Galatians 6:9 . . . Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

Don’t give up in your faith and you will reap great blessings.

Revelation 21:7 . . . All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings.