Chapter 29

Be A Blessing

"Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee; and thou shalt be a blessing" Genesis 12:1,2.

In these first words that God spoke to Abraham, we have the short summary of all that God has to say to him and to us as His children. We see the goal to which God calls us, the power that carries us to that goal, and the place where that power is found.

Be a blessing--that is the goal for which God separates Abraham and every believing child of His.

God would have him and us understand that, when He blesses us, it is not to simply make us happy, but so that we would still further communicate His blessing.1 God Himself is love, and therefore He blesses. Love does not seek itself. When the love of God comes to us, it will seek others through us.2 From the beginning, the young Christian must understand that he has received grace with the definite aim of becoming a blessing to others. Please, do not keep for yourself what the Lord gives to you for others. Offer yourself expressly and completely to the Lord--to be used by Him for others. That is the way to be blessed overflowingly yourself.3

The power for this work will be given. "Be a blessing," "I will bless thee," says the Lord. You are to be personally blessed and sanctified. You are to be filled with the Spirit, peace, and power of the Lord. Then you have power to bless.4 In Christ, God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3. Let Jesus fill you with these blessings, and you will certainly be a blessing. You do not need to doubt or fear. The blessing of God includes in it the power of life for multiplication, for expansion, for communication. See in the Scriptures how blessing and multiplication go together.5 Blessing always includes the power to bless others. Only give the word of the Almighty God, "I will bless thee," time to sink into your spirit. Wait upon God, so that He Himself may say to you, "I will bless thee." Let your faith cleave firmly to this. God will make it truth to you, above all asking and thinking.6

But for this reason you must also take yourself to the place of blessing--the land of promise, and the simple life of faith in those promises. "Get thee out of thy country and thy father's house," says the Lord. God would have departure and separation from the life of nature and the flesh, in which we are born of Adam. The offering up of what is most precious to man is the way to the blessing of God.7 "Get thee to a land that I will show thee," says the Lord, "out of the old life into a new life, where I alone am your guide." That is, a life where God can have me wholly for Himself alone, and where I walk only on the promises of God--a life of faith.

Christian, God will in a divine fashion fulfil to you His promise, "I will bless thee." Leave your homeland, your father's house, and your life and involvement with the world and the ways of the flesh. Enter into the new life--the life of the Spirit, the life in fellowship with God--to which He will lead you. There you become receptive to His blessing. There your heart becomes open to full faith in His word, "I will bless thee. "There He can fulfill that word to you, and make you full of His blessing and power to be a blessing to others. Live with God, separated from the world. Then you will hear the voice of God speak with power: "I will bless thee"; "Be thou a blessing."

Father, show me the way to that promised land where You bring Your people to have them wholly for Yourself. I will abandon everything to follow You, to hold converse with You alone, in order that You may fill me with Your blessing. Lord, let Your word, "I will bless thee," live in my heart as a Word of God. Then will I give myself wholly to live for others and to be a blessing. Amen.

Footnotes

1) Matt. 5:44,45; 10:8; 18:33

2) Isa. 58:10,11; 1 Cor. 13:5; 1 John 4:11

3) Ps. 112:5,9; Prov. 11:24,25; Matt. 25:40; 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 9:6; Heb. 6:10

4) Luke 24:49; John 7:38; 14:12

5) Gen. 1:22,28; 9:1; 22:17; 26:24

6) 2 Cor. 9:8,11; Heb. 6:14

7) Luke 18:29,30; John 12:24,25; 2 Cor. 6:17,18

Notes

1. God is the great, the only Fountain of blessing. As much of God as I have in me, so much blessing can I bring. I can work much for others without blessing. To actually be a blessing, I must begin with that word, "I will bless thee," then the other, "Be a blessing," becomes easy.

2. In order to become a blessing, begin on a small scale. Yield yourself up for others. Live to make others happy. Believe that the love of God lives in you by the Spirit, and give yourself wholly to be a blessing and a joy to those who are around you. Pray God to shed abroad His love in you still further by the Spirit. And believe very firmly that God can make you a greater blessing than you can think if you surrender yourself to Him for this purpose.

3. But this surrender must have time in solitary prayer so that God may obtain possession of your spirit. This is for you the departure from your Father's house. Separate yourself from men so that God may speak with you.

4. What do you think? Was Abraham ever filled with regret that he placed himself so entirely under he leading of God? Then do the same.

5. Do you now know the two words which are the source of all promises and all commands to the children of believing Abraham? The promise is: "I will bless thee." The command is: "Be a blessing." Please take them both firmly for yourself.

6. And do you now understand where these two words to Abraham are fulfilled? In separation from his father's house--in the walk in fellowship with God.