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Around 4,000 years ago God made a covenant (agreement) with Abraham which you can study for yourself, but as you will read below, part of that agreement was the promise that Abram (Abraham) would be blessed, and in turn, be a blessing to the future families of the earth.
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)
This agreement is referred to again several times in scripture, right through to the New Testament where the Apostle Paul reminds us that all Christians are ‘in on it'.
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:29 (NIV).
Therefore you should expect by faith, that you are blessed, will be blessed, and ultimately, will be a blessing to others.
GETTING MORE TO GIVE MORE
Staying in the New Testament we find the Apostle Paul instructing another group of Christians at Corinth about the same subject:
For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. So two good things will happen – the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God. You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.
2 Corinthians 9:10-13 (NLT).
Verse 11 holds the key principle for us here: “... you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously”. Wow! This will come as a shock to many SMCs (Survival Mentality Christians!). Paul is clearly talking about material gifts. So the principle here, just as in the Old Testament scripture, is that God blesses us materially so that we in turn can bless those in need.
And in typical God fashion, there is not just one, but two great consequences to this act of generosity. First we see that needs will be met, and secondly, that the recipients will praise God!
THE SEA OF GALILEE AND THE RED SEA
Let’s look at this principle from a different angle with the help of a quick geography lesson to make a point. The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are two bodies of water in Israel. They are both connected by the Jordan River and contain the same water. All of the water that is in the Dead Sea came into it from the Sea of Galilee via the Jordan River.
The two seas have so much in common, but at the same time are totally different. For thousands of years, right up to this very day, the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by fishing boats on its shore. But there is not one fishing boat to be found around the Dead Sea. This is because the Dead Sea is true to its name! It doesn’t contain a single living fish. The reason for this phenomenon is really quite simple. While the Sea of Galilee contains fresh water as an inviting habitat for a variety of fish, the Dead Sea has the most concentrated mineral content of any body of water in the world. It is seven times more salty than the ocean.
The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on the Earth - over 1,000 feet below sea level. While water comes into and then flows out of the Sea of Galilee, water comes into the Dead Sea - and stays there. There's no place lower for it to flow. The Sea of Galilee both receives and then gives out its fresh water; the Dead Sea just keeps receiving and receiving without ever giving out.
These two seas picture two different kinds of lives. God gives all of his children many blessings. If you hoard the blessings that you receive without passing some of them along to others, we become like the Dead Sea - bitterly sour and fruitless. But as you are willing to share your blessings with others, you not only enrich their lives, but you also experience joy and fulfilment in your own life as well.
Get ready to be blessed to be a blessing!
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