WE ALL WANT TO BE BLESSED, BUT DO WE UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS?
For as many as are the promises (or blessings) of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20 NASB)
Have you ever seen something like this?
I have heard the following statement various times…
“God has to give (bless) me… and I only receive… Just read 2 Corinthians 1:20”
Wait… this doesn’t make sense…
We just get the gift but we may not take it out of the box?
Think of all the blessings we get at Christmas? Every beautifully wrapped box… But we do nothing to that box… We get the blessing and we do nothing… Is this how we really do it? OR DO WE RUSH TO OPEN THE WRAPPING AND SEE WHAT IS INSIDE?
IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN, THIS MEANS WE DO SOMETHING TO GET THE BLESSING…
Now…
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 NIV)
Blessing: LONG LIFE
Wrapping: HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37-38 NIV)
Blessing:
- You will not be judged,
- And you will not be condemned,
- You will be forgiven,
- It will be given to you,
- It will be measured to you
Wrapping:
- Do not be judged,
- Do not be condemned,
- Forgive,
- Give,
- The measure that you use
Now you can read Revelation 2 – 3.
Blessing: EACH OF THE CHURCHES GET A BLESSING
EX. PERGAMUM : He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Wrapping: EACH CHURCH HAS SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO CONQUER
EX. PERGAMUM: But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
I only know of a few things we got with no strings attached…
We were born… We sort off could not do anything… Our parent did though… But we didn’t…
We breathe… Just think about this, how long would you have survived if you had to voluntarily choose to breathe?
We wake up almost every morning… we could die while we sleep, every day is another blessing…
I will however say this… THOSE WHO LEARNED WHO TO TRULY LOVE, WILL KNOW…
1) HOW MUCH IT WOULD TAKE TO ACTUALLY WALK AWAY… IT IS TOUGH, YET IT IS MOST TIMES WORTH IT…
2) HOW MUCH IT TAKES TO FIGHT FOR THE ONE YOU LOVE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT SOMETIMES HURT… ALSO MOST TIMES WORTH IT…
NOW FOR THE GREATEST BLESSING OF ALL TIME
Blessing: WE LIVE
Wrapping: WE ACCEPT CHRIST…
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIV)
Although I am touching on salvation, I will do a more in depth post on this in the future… Although salvation is very simplistic, there is some depth to it…
WHAT DID HE PAY FOR THIS?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17 NIV)
God showed how much He loved us by GIVING His only Son for us… Not us, BUT HIM…
ON A SIDE NOTE:
Some are called to be entrusted with money… But not everyone will be multi-billionaires… Especially not within a year… So test that which people tell you, some might be true, yet others, no matter how great the blessing, will lead you away from Christ…
God bless… Remember, blessings most times come in wrappings… Search the scripture… And do what the wrapping says, and see what the blessing is that will be poured out…