God created every human being for His Glory, to be showing forth His splendor. By this, every individual supposed to be reflecting God’s Glorious Blessings in one form or the other. But God does not put His blessings on people cheaply like that. Human beings must certify certain conditionality for the blessing as presented to him/her by God first. This could be a sacrifice to make or a proven righteous journey in the midst of trials and troubles. Today’s devotional is highlighting on more things those who God blessed did before the blessing came upon them. We have to know and emulate what these people did. This devotional will likely touch seven of them as the space will accommodate. These seven things to do may not be what other teachers of the word of God might be dwelling on due to their doctrine. But they are based on Biblical foundations.
The first to mention is obedient:
Complete obedience to the word of God makes one to be blessed of the LORD. As many as obeyed the word of God and His commandments, He blessed them in very special ways. Because Abraham obeyed God to offer Him Isaac, God said these words: “By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have not withheld your son, your only son – Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore…” Gen, 22: 17 NKJV). Obedience to God’s voices and keeping His Covenant allows Him makes one a peculiar person to Him; thus blesses the individual (Exod. 19: 5). Moses, when speaking to the Israelites on obeying God told them that if they obey God’s voice, He will make Himself enemy to their enemies (Exod. 23: 22; Deut. 11: 27).
Second is carrying out God’s instructions:
God admires those who listen to His instructions and sincerely, in faithfulness carried them out. God’s instructions involve discipline, guidance, correction, chastisement and teaching. Carrying out God’s instructions as exactly as He gave makes Him to bless us in righteousness (Psa. 106: 3). When we obey God’s instructions, believe them and execute them, it will be counted to us as righteousness (Gen. 15: 6; Psa. 106: 31). Additional blessing God granted us for obediently carrying out His instructions is giving us “rest from the days of adversity and digging graves for those acting wickedly against us (Psa. 94: 12 – 14)._
Third is trusting God:
God bestows special passion on those who place their trust in Him; and usually set aside blessings for them. We are to trust God in all circumstances that come on our ways. Those who always put their trust in God contact His Blessing (Psa. 84: 12). King David exhibited great trust in God through all the problems he got from King Saul, rebellions of his children and his yielding to the desires of flesh with women. In all these he never shifted his trust from God’s mercy and faithfulness. David reflected on how God saves him for trusting God in Psa. 20: 6 – 8; 2 Chro. 32: 7 – 8. Reading these passages show us how King trusted God from saves one from harms and the arms of the flesh. King David knew all these. No wonder he was so blessed. If we emulate King David, we too can reap blessings from God bountifully.
PRAYER:
FATHER GOD, I don’t have to be blessed before obeying you, carrying out your instructions and trusting you in all things. Work on my mind, heart and will to follow you unconditionally before expecting your blessings upon my life. I pray this in Jesus name.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch