So That

Dear Friends,

This morning I was doing my daily devotional reading, and came across Genesis 12:2, which says: “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you will be a blessing to others.”

For those of you who aren't familiar with this passage, here's a little context: God was speaking to Abram, before he was renamed “Abraham”. God had just called Abram to leave his home and follow God to a new place which God said He would show to Abram, then God outlined for Abram several blessings that he will receive as he follows God.

I think that when we read through this particular passage of Scripture, it's easy for us to focus on all the promises that God gives to Abram, but today as I read it, I was struck by another lesson that we can take away from this passage. Here's what I mean: all too often we tend to focus on the part of the scripture where God does the blessing, and in doing so, we miss out on the “why” behind it. Why did God bless Abram? The passage gives us the answer when it says at the end, that the Lord told Abraham: “I will bless you and make your name great - and you will be a blessing to others.” In other words, Abraham was blessed SO THAT he could be a blessing to others.

We are heirs to the blessings that God gave Abram, and that means we need to also claim the challenge that comes with those blessings. God has done so much for each of us. He's blessed us with amazing things, the most important being that He sent His Son to die for us. He has shown us incredible grace and mercy, as He has allowed us to come into His Kingdom and be a part of the great things He’s doing. And this passage in Genesis reminds us that what we have received isn't just for our own personal enjoyment or benefit, but it's to bless and encourage a dying world around us. God gives freely to us so that we may give freely to others.

So today, let’s ask God to help us generously give out of the blessings He's given us. Let's ask Him to help us actively look for ways to bless others today - whether it's through our words, or our actions - let's work to be a blessing to those around us so that they too can enjoy the abundance that God has to give.

Amen?

Daniel