Blessing, to Taste or to Take

We will look at God’s blessing and its reach. But I especially want us to look at people who were in so close a proximity with it that it could have been theirs yet were unable to access it.

Abraham was blessed. That is what God called him for.

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)

Lot, his nephew, was able to taste that blessing. That was the reason he followed him. But I think he did not realize what he was following, or he could not have trashed it when the opportunity arose.

I think Lot followed his uncle because he offered better prospects. He thought Abraham was after a better deal, a greener pasture. No wonder he could not resist the allure of the land he saw.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. (Genesis 13:10)

We see the same with Hagar. She thought that she was brought only to provide an heir of all Abraham possessed. No wonder she started despising Sarah when she conceived. That is the reason we see her son trying to harass Isaac. They lost their position but later got the wealth they were after.

But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. (Genesis 25:6)

The blessing remained with Isaac.

We see the same with Esau whose life revolved around work and wealth. He never sought to know why Isaac was the way he was. He thought accessing and increasing his father’s wealth was all that mattered. That is why a birthright was of no importance to him when faced with hunger pangs as it did not threaten that wealth.

He follows the externals when looking for wives, again overlooking his heritage. He realizes too late the blunder he made and even sought to rectify it in the same way (Genesis 28: 8, 9).

Jacob was different. We do not know much about his industry. But we know his desire for the blessing. He buys his brother off his birthright because it was worth much more than the privilege of the firstborn as far as property was concerned. The blessing in that birthright was worth much more than Esau could imagine because it was a spiritual thing.

Even running away from his wounded and bleeding brother had to be accompanied by a blessing. That is why we see him looking for a valid reason to flee, thus connecting squarely with his father’s heart (Genesis 27: 46). I will get a wife that you approve of (Genesis 28: 1).

The other blessings were gotten craftily but this one was got in a way that must have given joy in Isaac’s heart. Jacob had finally chosen to perpetuate Abraham’s blessing.

We see the same thing when he is faced with his conniving uncle. For Jacob it is blessing at all cost. He hides his effort and craftiness in God so that Laban had no reason to think otherwise of him but someone who was really desirous of God.

When faced by an angel we do not see anything different. He pleads only for the blessing instead of the protection he was in dire need of then.

He faces his brother and we see the same thing. And that is where we see how different they were. Esau is still thinking of wealth (I have more than enough) but Jacob is still looking for his blessing and finally gets it even from his brother.

It is no wonder then that God finally connects with Him and links him and his posterity with the blessing of Abraham.

Do you realize that Gehazi was closer to the prophetic anointing than was Elisha? Why do I say so. Elisha was known only as the one who poured water on Elijah (1 Kings 3:11) whereas Gehazi was closely involved in Elisha’s ministry, even being given assignments and sent on errands. Yet who inherited the prophetic? Elisha. Why? He craved the prophetic inheritance from his master whereas Gehazi pursued gain.

And it is very probable he became very rich as we see him conversing with a king (2Kings 8) but only as a commentator to the prophetic.

Judas was very strategically placed as the treasurer of the King of kings yet lost out when the kingdom came into play.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10: 41, 42)

What is a blessing to you? Is it the wealth and material blessings or is it first spiritual favor with the Creator of the universe?

Are you like Lot who left the blessing for the greener pastures because they were more visible?

Are you like Hagar and her son who are fighting even today for the visible instead of the spiritual?

Are you like Esau who is so focused on the here and now instead of the eternal?

Are you in ministry like Martha who is so focused on service that she overlooks fellowship with the one she served?

The sad reality is that in these days most preachers and teachers operate in the Lot and Esau reality of blessing. Someone is blessed when they are overflowing with earthly and earth bound matter. We thus find testimonies that enrich being those that are talking about increase in the material sense; acquisitions, promotions, travel etc. Very little, if any, effort is placed in developing spiritual stature and potency. And very little emphasis is placed in the pursuit of the purely spiritual. Yet

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1Corinthians 15:50)

I believe that is the wave the antichrist will ride to prominence. You see focusing on the visible will make one lose contact with the eternal as happened with these we have studied.

A miracle in the flesh will be interpreted as a miracle in the spiritual whereas the spiritual will look beyond the visible to the deeper reality. That is the only way someone will be able to distinguish between Proverbs 22:4 and Luke 4:6. It is the only way healing and miracles from witchcraft can be exposed.

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (Revelation 13: 12 – 14)

The essence of the blessed is the differentiation between the blessing and the Blesser. The blessed will always choose the Blesser and reject the blessing when it comes to that as it must one time or the other.

A case in point is Abraham. When given the choice between the promise (Isaac) and God’s order, he leaves no doubt as to his preference. And we see the same with Job.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. (Job 13:15)

Is that what your pastor preaches or even infers in his preaching? Do we hear testimonies of victory in demotions and sackings? Do we hold victory parties after being dispossessed or disadvantaged because of our faith? Do we gladly endure persecution for our faith? Do we even have that expectation at the back of our minds? Yet what did Christ promise?

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

And that is why we see the disciples holding a victory service after they are released from detention in Acts 4.

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. (Acts 5:41)

They were content to walk with the Blesser irrespective of the direction the blessing took.

King Saul was the exact opposite. Though he had held the blessing in his hands, he became too preoccupied with it to the extent that he lost contact with its source. When push came to shove he trashed the Blesser to maintain a hold of the blessing, forgetting that the source determined the continuity of the blessing.

We see the same with Balaam who for the reward lost touch with God who had given him the status that made him to be sought far and wide. And it was the same with Judas who was entrusted with the finances of the King of kings grasping after them and losing touch with the King. Compare that with Peter.

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (John 6:68)

So much different from the majority of followers

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. (John 6:26)

That is the distinction I am talking about.

There is nothing inherently wrong with new jobs and promotions and visas and houses and cars. They become the problem when we become fixated on them at the expense of growing our relationship with God. They actually become idols when we define our potency and depth of our relationship with God using them. What do I mean? I know someone is asking.

I am blessed because I got two promotions last week. I am blessed because I got the car of my dreams recently. I am blessed because I bought a house the other day.

You see Abraham was blessed when he obeyed God and left all his security and relationships to go to a land he was to be shown. He was not cursed all the time he had not received the son of promise. Do we realize that the Promised Land was got over six hundred years later? By then even Isaac and Jacob were long dead. Yet they were all walking in the blessing. Job was not under the curse when his faith was being tested. Joseph was not cursed when he was thrown in the pit and prison. In fact he was thrown there because of the blessing he carried. Persecution is many times driven or activated by the blessing we carry.

Could you be feeling unblessed because the ministry God has called you is not as flowery or does not attract as much favor or support as others? Are you getting discouraged because your evangelism does not attract as many decisions or support as other evangelists? Do you wonder why your Christian life has to always attract opposition?

Are you doing what God has called you? Are you faithfully pursuing the call God has placed on you? Are you carefully listening to and following His orders as you live your Christian life? Is your relationship with God consistent with the revelation God has in His word?

Then do not depend on the externals. You are walking in your blessing. The harvest of your righteousness is on its way in the visible. Do not be swayed by the visibility seekers to trash your hope in God. Or have you forgotten that we walk by faith and not by sight? Read Hebrews 11 to get what I mean.

Are those blessings you enjoy inconsistent with a life of holiness? Do you explain away sin as you walk in those blessings? Do you depend on a person (preacher, prophet) to get your word? Do you wonder the difference between sin and moral weakness, sin and character flaws? Are you offended when someone tells you that there is something higher than that blessings you are swimming in? Are you content only in the blessings?

You could be transforming the blessing into a curse. Or it may be a curse you are enjoying.

One aspect of a blessing is in its overflow. If your blessing is constrained to your immediate circles, it is probable that it is not a blessing from above. God’s blessings reflect His nature. Again look at the blessed people in the scriptures to get what I mean. Read Job 31 for a start.

A case in point is Jacob and Laban. Jacob found his uncle with a very small flock, small enough that the shepherd was his youngest daughter. Then enter Jacob, the blessed, and the same flock explodes in size. He is in no doubt that it was Jacob who was instrumental to that increase (Genesis 30: 27 – 30).

But he develops ideas, I think because it was not his blessing; it was Jacob’s overflow getting to him. He starts feeling bad that Jacob’s flock was also increasing, which is what exposed him as poor since in my experience the really rich (blessed) strive to spread their wealth abroad.

The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. (Psalm 37:21)

He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. (Proverbs 21:26)

He wants to grasp the whole blessing. He even forgets that Jacob was the source of all that blessing. But that is the description of the poor; they are never content and must grab other people’s blessing.

It is not surprising that Laban disappears from the divine narrative since God had to personally step in the picture to rescue Jacob from him. Again we see someone who was so close to the blessing that he could have possessed it losing it through his desire to hoard all of it to himself.

Envy and jealousy are traits of those who will see the blessing passing them by. A blessing makes the recipient secure, not in the blessing but in its source. That is why the blessed are not stingy, selfish or envious. They are only concerned with God, the source of their blessing.

And that is why they will be content whatever situation they are at like Paul said in Philippians 4: 11, 12. No wonder they could worship in prison, even in shackles after a flogging in Acts 16. They get their security from a healthy relationship with God. You can take all their ‘blessing’ and they will still remain blessed because you have not touched on their relationship with the source like we see with Job.

How do we maintain that relationship?

We first establish it by responding to His call since He is the one who makes the invitation. We can see that from Abraham to the disciples. And we know that He already made the invitation when He died on the cross for our salvation. Romans 10, among many other scriptures, deal with that invitation.

The second is deciding that we will do EVERYTHING He asks us to do exactly as He asks without asking questions. This is because we realize that He is God and we can trust Him since He knows better than our finite minds. And He loves us better than we can ever imagine.

The best way to do that is to immerse ourselves in His revelation. We are to make His revelation the primary pursuit of our life as we see with the blessed of the past. We are to forget even the blessing for our pursuit of God, the source of that blessing. Whether the blessing comes or not should be none of our concerns because God ALONE is sufficient.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

We will then be able to rest in Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

That revelation is His word, the Bible that we are to immerse ourselves to its study as it is the only source of untainted revelation from God, the source of all true and valid blessings.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

Do not give others the right to read and understand for you. God expects us to devote ourselves to read, study and meditate on His word for our lives to be aligned to His blessing.

Why is the Bible so important for a blessed life?

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

There is no shortcut or alternative for it. We must dedicate our best effort on it.

(That is the reason we help people to read the Bible through providing reading plans.

It first demystifies the Bible and makes us realize that we can read it for ourselves as opposed to allowing others to read it for us. It also gives us a manageable plan to be able to read it in one year, even yearly for consistent spiritual nurture.

For those who would require one you can get it on this blog. I could also e-mail you if you so desire. You can get a hard copy if you are in Nairobi, Kenya.

Check our FB page (The Bible Club House) for an interactive forum of people using the plans.)