Receiving God's Blessing
Written by Ed Allen
Saturday, 29 January 2000 19:00
When we have the right focus, when we are concentrated on the right things our lives become more productive ? and we put ourselves in a position to receive God's blessing.
When we're looking at the right things, in the right direction, when we have the right vision we become more productive ? and we put ourselves in a position to receive God's blessing.
- In His right hand there are pleasures forever.
- He longs to bless us. Augustine was right when he said, "God is more anxious to bestow His blessings on us than we are to receive them."
- We simply have to be in the right place to receive them. And what is that place? The place of obedience. The place of seeking God's kingdom first.
Haggai 2:10-19
(10) On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: (11) "This is what the LORD Almighty says: `Ask the priests what the law says: (12) If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?'" The priests answered, "No." (13) Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled." (14) Then Haggai said, "`So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. `Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled. (15) "`Now give careful thought to this from this day on - consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. (16) When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. (17) I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. (18) `From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: (19) Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "`From this day on I will bless you.'"
- Hebrew word Berek, here translated "bless", means "to give good things." In general, it was given from greater to lesser, like father to son or king to subject. In human relations this word is used to describe the gift of family inheritance, the entitlement of land or even position from a king, and the promise of protection and security. The Old Testament saints universally see God as the source of all blessing. Those who are wrongly related to God cannot be blessed.
- This was the position Haggai's audience was in. They were wrongly related to God. They had not made His concerns their concerns. But they were hoping God was still on their side. They were hoping because of their ancestry and because they still believed in God and compared to their neighbors they were practically saints ? they were hoping God would bless them.
Not so. God will withhold His blessing to get our attention
- Holiness is not easily communicated. It cannot be inherited. It cannot be bought. It cannot be acquired by accidental or incidental contact.
- Defilement is easily communicated. (This word comes from the Egyptian word for "mud") We know this from our own experience. In our homes, mess spreads, cleanliness doesn't. Good habits are hard to make, bad habits are hard to break.
- Missionary dating ? doesn't work
- Sin is like spiritual leprosy. It deadens the senses.
- That's why the absence of the temple prevented the Jews from being productive. Senses were deadened and they were not in a position to receive God's blessing.
Critical point: While He longs to bless us, God's principal concern is having a right relationship with us. God will withhold His blessing to get our attention.
This means, in effect, that God's favor is conditional.
- "For if you forgive people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Mt. 6:14
- "If you want to enter into life, obey the commandments." Mt. 19:17
- "If anyone loves me that person will obey my teaching and my Father will love them an we will come the them and make our home with them." John 14:23
- "If anyone does not remain in me, they are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you." John 15:6-7
- Not merited, but conditional
The payoff:
- Some of us need to count our blessings. We are in the place of right relationship with God and God has blessed us.
- Some of us need to adjust or vision or adjust our priorities. As we consider our lives, things just are not going well. God is trying to get your attention.
- What have you been hoping would make your life productive? Hard work. Good ideas. Your own willpower. Good family. Maybe even religion. Not enough. Need to rightly relate to God.