We Were Created For Blessing
I want us to notice the very first thing God did after He made Adam and Eve, Genesis 1:28-31. “GOD BLESSED THEM” When God breathed the breath of life into man, the word is Ru-ach which means God put His own life in the man. The blessing here is all that God set in motion from that time forth, to benefit mankind... It was His intention before He shaped you, before there was anything of you....that you experience His life and continually benefit from His blessings. It has always been so and it will always be so..... I want us to see that blessing is different than success because it originates with and comes out of God, and not us. It doesn't start with me. It's about His grace which I don’t deserve. It's different than prosperity because it is blessings that are given, so I can bless others. And it's not about showing how blessed I am but instead, it always points to Him. Every blessing points to the BLESSER HIMSELF! It always points to the source.... Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, “Let Us (in the Hebrew language, “God” is never singular) Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in His Own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them. So what is the first thing you needed to do to be blessed..... Well, according to Genesis....you Just need to be born! God has always desired for you to be blessed and He always will be looking for ways to bless you!
Because everyone is made in the image of God, every person on the planet matters to God. However, to move forward in our faith, we must go back to the beginning. No building is any better than it’s foundation...Get the foundation right and the building will be strong... We have an amazing beginning because our God is an amazing God. Genesis 1:28 “And fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
When God says it, that settles it. He says what He means and He means what He says.
He is our beginning and He is our origin, we can only befulfilled when we put Him first in our lives. He’s not a side dish, He’s the main course.. He’s not an addition to our lives, He wants to be at the center of our lives.
If the beginning was God’s idea, then everything in between is covered by His plan.
We are created in His image, and our greatest purpose is not to work an 8 to 5 job, or to make money, and have things, Ourgreatest purpose is to reflect, reveal, and represent Him. By the way, most of us don’t own that car we drive, the house we live in, and many other things, we enjoy. Probably the bank does. He who dies with the most toys doesn’t win!!!
Being made in the image of God involves having a personality, morality, spirituality, and the responsibility to respond to Him, our world and to those who are in it.
Genesis 1:28 “And He said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number”, (This is the part of the blessing we really grabbed onto, saint and sinner, OH, we like this commandment) In spite of the fact that earth’s inhabitants have broken nearly every one of God’s commandments, it’s fair to say humankind has kept at least one of them, which is to “be fruitful and multiply!” We really have been serious about multiplying! Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were as good with all the rest of His requirements as we were about this! The population of our planet has reached 8 billion people! But those are not just numbers, they are eternal souls that will spend all of eternity somewhere.
Because we have a soul, a spirit, and a will, we possess dignity and value. Deuteronomy 28:1—_“And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and to do all His commandments, which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you on high.” (bless, promote, and elevate you)
There is no one like you and there will never be another you.
Unless we are related to the Creator through the new birth,which Christ made possible by His death on the cross, our lives will lack meaning and purpose and fulfillment. If angels exercise their wills against God, they are given no second chance, they are cast out. If people choose against God, the grace of God continues to draw them as long as they have breath. The grace of God is unique to mankind. Scripture tells us we were made higher than the angels, What a blessing is that. We are the recipients of the blessing of His grace and mercy.
In the words of Saint Augustine, “You have created us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You!” You see, when Jesus died on the cross and rose to present His sacrifice to the Father, His cross became the bridge we can now cross over from the curse to the blessing!
You will never look into the eyes of someone or ever meet anyperson who does not matter to God.
Something that I would like to jump to and look at, regarding these many blessings, is found in
Deuteronomy 28:2 “The Lord through Moses said, “And all these blessings shall run after you, and overtake you as you go.”
Location doesn’t matter, age doesn't matter, and there are no time limits on these blessings. Yes, God’s word is saying that the blessings of God will be so abundant, that these blessings will actually chase us down and overtake us in the way that we go.
That word, overtake, means “to take hold of.” These blessings will come upon and us and take hold of us. In other words, if your faith is anchored in Christ and the Cross, you cannot outrun these blessings. Let that sink in for a moment! If your faith is anchored correctly in Christ and Him crucified, then you cannot outrun the blessings of God! Wherever the obedient, surrendered Christian goes, who’s walking in the word, blessings are sure to follow. God will find someone, somehow to get His blessing to you.
Deuteronomy 28:2, He said that not only will the blessings overtake you, but “you’ll be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. Your family and children will be blessed, and all that belongs to you will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and when you go out and when you get up and when you lay down”.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU BETTER GET READY TO BE BLESSED.....
Hallelujah! What a promise!
When God starts commanding, something’s going to move! No irresistible force, or immovable object can withstand when He commands! Deuteronomy 28:8 says: “The Lord shall COMMAND the blessings TO OVERTAKE AND COMEupon you.” How phenomenal is that! At this very moment, if you will believe Him, He is commanding blessings to come your way and settle upon you....... IN OTHER WORDS, YOU BETTER GET READY TO BE BLESSED.....Hallelujah! What a promise!.
A mother had taken her young toddler to the beach. She and her son were having a great time playing on the beach, kicking around the sand, and just have fun exploring. The toddler saw a quarter. She grabbed the shiny object, and put it in her mouth, and tried to swallow it, and she began to choke. Mom, began to panic. “Help me! Please somebody! Help my little baby,” she cried. A man on the beach heard her andgrabbed the toddler by the chest, wrapped his arms around her, and gave a quick squeeze. Out popped the quarter. The mom was grateful and very relieved and She thanked the man profusely, and said, “It’s a miracle! God be praised. Wouldn’t you know he placed a doctor here just so my baby would be saved?” “Oh, I’m not a doctor, ma’am,” he said. “I’m from the IRS. And I’m good at Getting people to cough up money,that’s what I do!” God can even use the IRS to bless you!!!The blessings of God will overtake you wherever you go!
Scripture says, “Give and it shall be given unto you, full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, it shall be given back to you..... The bible is not saying God is trying to get money out of us, but He’s trying to get blessingsto us....
It gets better! Listen to what the Holy Spirit says:
Deuteronomy 28:8 “The LORD shall command His blessings upon you in your storehouses, (your bank account your cabinets, your closets, your real estate, and your stocks, bonds and CD’s) and in all that you set your hand unto, (all your efforts and projects) and He shall bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you (the land will be blessed because you are there).” God is commanding your blessing to get to you! I can’t say it any better than what has already been said. If you believe this, then God, right now, at this very moment, is commanding blessings upon you!(Somebody lift up your hand and receive it)
Deuteronomy 28:11 declares, “The LORD will make you plenteous in goods.” He’s saying that we will have plenty of what we need.
God is not talking about feeding our greeds, but He wants to meet our needs, and that we will be able to be generous to others, just as He wants to be generous to us.
I’ve found that if I take care of God’s business He takes care of my business!.
If your job sent you on a trip to negotiate a deal for the company, or to attend an important company meeting, you would expect them to pick up the tab, and not expect to pay ityourself. God is saying here that He will cover your expenses, and make sure you’re taken care of when you’re on a mission for Him. That includes your medical, your transportation, your food, and everything else....You would be shocked when you got home, to get a bill for some part of your trip since it was a company trip.
Deuteronomy 28:12 says ”THE LORD SHALL OPEN UNTO YOU HIS GOOD TREASURE... and you shall lend to many, and you shall not borrow’.
If we could get our head around it, God’s treasure does not diminish, even if millions of people draw out of it... That’s what the next scripture tells us in
Philippians 4:19 ”My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. Notice it didn’t say “out of His riches” but according to His riches. In other words, it’s never going to run out or diminish, no matter what or how much the need. (can someone say “He said “all my needs”).... I look out my window and the birds are eating. I look out 20 minutes later and they’re still eating. Birds are eating all the time. God feeds the birds, He can feed you.... Birds don’t get ulcers like people do, worrying about what they will eat! You couldn’t afford the doctor, so He kept you well.... You couldn’t afford a car, so He provided you a motor bike....You didn’t have groceries so someone called and took you out to eat....You didn’t have a job, so He provided one.... He’s commanding blessings your way!
So, what is raising the dead to life worth.....What is it worth for the lame to walk, or the deaf to hear or the blind to see...What’s that worth? And we haven’t touched on the value of cleansing a leper, or turning a little boy’s lunch into enough to feed 5,000 men plus women and children.... And that is just a few among so many blessings He accomplished... You see, that’s according to His riches, according to His power, “Will He not freely give you all these things”....When he fed the multitude, with a little boys lunch, he had 12 baskets full left over. (tell someone, he wants you to have left over blessings)
Romans 8:32 He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us things? How many are ready for an “All things” blessing?
Who in the world would offer their own son’s life to save someone else’s life? No one...... but God did that, so that we would have access to His supply.
How many are ready for an “All things” blessing?
That’s about God’s favor.... Grace is the blessing of doors of opportunity that God opens in our lives. Favor is when God makes a way for you in your life where there was no way. You could not have made it happen....but God providing the solution to your problems, when it looked like there was no solution... Grace is the way maker in your life, and Favor is the miracle worker! He’s the light in the darkness when you can’t find your way!
How would your life look if you were surrounded, all day and every day, by God’s grace and favor? How different would things be if doors opened for you, and you walked through each one covered with God’s favor? Would your actions and attitudes in every situation be any different if you knew beyond any doubt that His favor lies ahead, because you are one of God’s favorites? Well friend, if you have received Christ, you Already Have That Kind of Favor.
(Ephesians 2:8)“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the free gift of God’s favor”
God’s favor covers every area of our lives! We walk in God’s favor by believing His word and trusting His character, that He cannot lie, or He would not be God. If the moment ever came when God was untrustworthy undependable, untruthful, unreliable or unbelievable, He would have to resign from being God. Isaiah 26:4 “I will trust Adonai forever, for He is the Rock of Ages.”
His very name “Adonai” means “the unmovable One” or “Rock of Ages”...
the word for trust in the Hebrew language, is “Bitachon”... or the act of placing your expectations, your hopes, your dreams, your desires and your very life into His care....
Joseph found Bitachon in prison and the King put him over all his possessions, so that Joseph was second only to the king.
Paul found Bitachon in jail, and he and Silas were able to walk out the prison doors and lead the jailer and his family to Christ.
When Abraham had no children at 90 yrs old, God’s Bitachonopened Sarah’s womb gave him and his wife a child.
When Daniel was thrown into the den of lions, God’s Bitachon kept the lions from harming him, and he used them for a pillow...
What can trust in His favor do for you today?
If you want to move up to the graduate level of blessings. Jesus says, "Bless those who curse you." Jesus washed Judas’ feet. Have you ever tried really doing that—and making it a way of life? On our own we can't do that, but Jesus can do that through us.
God's dream is that we become His blessing factory, that this place, the church with all its damaged goods, broken lives, and incomplete dreams, becomes the church of the blessing because a blessing can change a life forever.
A writer named Mary Ann Bird wrote the following article..
She says she grew up knowing she was different. She was born with a cleft palate. When she started school, herclassmates made it clear how she looked to others. She was the Little girl, with the misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech. When schoolmates asked, 'What happened to your lip?' She'd tell them she had fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than be born different. She was convinced nobody outside her family could love her. But,Then there was a teacher in the second grade we all adored, Mrs. Leonard. Annually we had a hearing test. Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everybody in the class. Finally, it was Mary’sturn. She knew from past years as they stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper, and we'd have to repeat it back, something like, 'The sky is blue' or 'Do you have new shoes?' Mary waited there for the words. God must have put in the teacher’s mouth those seven words that changed her life. (SEVEN WORDS) Mrs. Leonard said in a whisper, 'I wish you were my little girl.'"Wow, what powerful words of blessing to a young girl that didn’t feel wanted, or needed....
I would like us all to go to someone and in these closing moments, speak a blessing over someone today....I will have the scriptures of blessing on the screen....for all of us to read together...Tell them “I want to bless you today”.....
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace who raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, keep building yourself up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 and keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy, grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 3:18 May Christ dwell in your heart through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may comprehend the length and width and height and depth of the love of Christ, and be filled with all the fullness of God.…In Jesus name, Amen
