And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:8-10
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways! Psalm 128:1
Sparkling Advent #8: The Gift of Blessing (Galatians 3:8, 2 Corinthians 9:8-10, Psalm 128:1)
This Christmas season I have actually seen two different performances of musical versions of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In both versions, the famous line that Tiny Tim pronounces was turned into a song: “God bless us, everyone!” He invokes God’s blessing, which the Bible says we have as believers in Christ.
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways! Psalm 128:1
The idea of blessing is confusing at first. In our modern culture, we don’t go around blessing others often (unless you count when your friends are sneezing). God’s blessing is a bit of a foreign concept.
Blessing
However, back in the Old Testament, blessing was a cultural norm. Fathers blessed children in specific ways. God has always been in the business of blessing.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3
God’s blessing of Abraham was contingent upon Abraham’s obedience. In a similar way, our blessing is dependent on our belief in Jesus. When we choose to believe and follow Jesus, we are included in the blessing of Abraham.
The Blessing of Abraham
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8
Those of us who are not Jews are a part of “all the nations” who are blessed through the lineage of Abraham. This verse from Paul’s letter to the Galatians says that this blessing is preaching the Gospel. It is a prophecy of Jesus. Through Jesus, we are blessed with the favor, protection, and approval of God which we do not deserve.
Different kinds of blessings
Blessings can be large intangibles like favor, protection, and approval, or they can be seemingly small gifts. When I first went away to college for the first time, I was in the middle of a study called Experiencing God (Henry Blackaby). I was growing closer to God like never before and starting to pray about everything, big and small. That first semester God blessed me with good parking spots, hot water in the community bathrooms for showers, direction when I didn’t know where I was going, and more – all of which I prayed for. He grew my faith by responding quickly to small prayers – little gifts straight from heaven to remind me that I was loved and His child.
As I grew in my faith, I didn’t need the constant reinforcement from Him. He still answers my prayers. However, for my own good, my own growth, my own maturing in the faith, God delays sometimes or says no to me. Those are blessings too.
Gifts from God
When we open our eyes to the many ways God is blessing us everyday, our gratitude enlarges. We start to see the presents He is sending down from heaven on us as believers. God’s gifts empower us to sparkle in good works that He has planned for us.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:8-10
Action Step:
Look for how God has been sending the gift of blessing your way – the provision, the favor, the protection, the approval, the answered prayer, the character growth, the empowerment, and more! Then pray for the blessing of someone else. As Tiny Tim says, “God bless us, every one!”
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Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you for the gift of Your blessing. We can’t even see all that You have blessed us with, but we know that we are blessed. Help us to sparkle with gratitude and to bless others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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