“YOU” HAVE BECOME “A” BLESSING?
“…I will save you that you may BECOME A BLESSING....” (Zechariah 8:13 KJV).
*
God not only BLESSES
(shows unmerited favor) you, but he also makes YOU “A” BLESSING. However, in
the Old Testament, when God’s people BROKE the covenant relationship with God,
the BLESSINGS ceased and they became a CURSE.
God’s people repeatedly
abandoned him. “…But my
people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and ABANDONED me….” (JEREMIAH 5:23 NLT). “…They ABANDONED ME
and did not obey my word….”
(JEREMIAH 16:11 NLT).
“….They ABANDONED the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them
out of Egypt. They went after other gods (IDOLS)…” (Judges 2:12 NLT).
“…They
ABANDONED the Lord
to serve Baal …” (Judges 2:13 NLT). “….They ABANDONED the Lord and no longer served him at all…”
(Judges 10:6 NLT).
“…Ever
since I brought them from Egypt they have continually ABANDONED ME and followed other gods…” (1
Samuel 8:8 NLT). “…For my people have ABANDONED ME and offered
sacrifices to pagan gods …” (2 Kings 22:17 NLT “…They ABANDONED the Lord… they
turned their backs on him….” (2 Chronicles 29:6 NLT).
“…The
Lord replies, “This has happened because my
people have ABANDONED MY INSTRUCTIONS; they have refused to obey what I
said….” (JEREMIAH 9:13 NLT).
Because of their abandonment of the
covenant relationship, the tribes of Israel were left on their own to
experience being an accursed people among the other nations. “…I will make them an object of horror and a
symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked,
taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them…” (Jeremiah 24:9 NLT).
The Israelites’ many captivities were a sign
the blessings of God was NOT with them. “….If they sin against you—you might become angry with them and “let”
their enemies conquer them and
take them captive to their land far away or near…”
(1 Kings 8:46 NLT). “…They
defiled themselves
by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight. That is why the Lord’s anger burned
against his people, and he abhorred his own special possession. He
handed them over to pagan nations,
and they were ruled by
those who hated them. Their enemies crushed them and
brought them under their cruel power. Again and again he rescued them, but
they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed
by their sin…”
(Psalm 106:39-43 NLT).
God reverses the CURSE,
several times, because of his GREAT MERCIFUL LOVE and GRACE toward his people. “…Their enemies crushed them and brought them under their
cruel power. Again and again he rescued them, but
they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin. Even
so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries. He
remembered his covenant with them and
relented because of his unfailing love. He even caused their captors to treat them with kindness. Save us, O Lord our God! Gather us back from
among the nations, so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you. Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from
everlasting to everlasting! Let all the people say,
“Amen!” Praise the Lord!”
(Psalms 106:42-48 NLT). “…He
remembered his covenant with
them and relented because
of his unfailing love…”
(Psalms 106:42-48 NLT).
“…Ye were a curse among the
heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall
be a blessing:
…” (Zechariah 8:13 KJV).
“…Great is his love toward us, and the
faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD” (Psalms 117:2 KJV). “…[GOD]
remembered his covenant with
them (THROUGH ABRAHAM) …”
(Psalms 106:42-48 NLT). To Abraham he said: “…I will BLESS thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a BLESSING: And I will BLESS them that BLESS thee …in
thee shall all families of the earth be BLESSED…”
(Genesis 12:2-3 KJV).
God KEEPS his word
through thousands and thousands of generations. “…Showing
love to a thousand generations
of those who love me and keep my commandments…” (Exodus 20:6 NIV).
God also watches over his
word, very carefully, to make sure he keeps it and that it performs exactly
what he commands. God says, I “…am
WATCHING over my word to PERFORM it…” (Jeremiah 1:12 NASB “…So shall MY WORD be
that goeth forth out of my mouth: it SHALL NOT return unto me void, but it SHALL ACCOMPLISH
that which I please, and it SHALL
PROSPER in the thing whereto I sent it…” (Isaiah 55:11 KJV).).
God was determined to keep his covenant with
Abraham and because he did, new converts can NOW enjoy the blessings of
Abraham. “…Christ hath REDEEMED us from the curse of the law …That the “BLESSING
of Abraham” might come on [“US”]… through Jesus Christ …”
(Galatians 3:13-14 KJV).
God’s love survived
abandonment of his people, rebellion, idolatry, dishonor, disrespect, rejection,
and blatant unfaithfulness, as witnessed, in biblical history. Yet,
he has “….loved [you]...with an everlasting
love….” (Jeremiah 31:3 KJV). “…not
that we loved God, but that he loved us ...” (1
John 4:10 KJV).
God’s merciful LOVE endures
the many rejections of his people. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out
of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the
farther he moved from me, offering
sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to
idols. I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him
along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that
it was I who took care of him. I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness
and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him. “But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and... They will
destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans.
For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me. “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel?
How can I let you go? How can I
destroy you …My heart is torn within me, and my
compassion overflows. No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I
am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living
among you, and I will not come to destroy. For someday the people will follow me. I,
the Lord, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return …And
I will bring them home again,” says the Lord….” (HOSEA 11 NLT).
“And
now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For ONCE AGAIN we have ABANDONED your commands!”
(Ezra 9:10 NLT).
“….They refused to
obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they
became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in
Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and
merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon
them…”
(Nehemiah 9:17 NLT).
However, “…once again we have ABANDONED your commands!”
(Ezra 9:10 NLT). “…And
many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his
neighbour, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city? Then
they shall answer, Because
they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their
God, and worshipped other gods, and served them…”
(Jeremiah 22:8-9 KJV).
“…[Yet]… in
your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful
God you are!”
(Nehemiah 9:31 NLT).
“…The
Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my (MERCIFUL) love will know no bounds,
for my anger will be gone forever….”
(HOSEA 14:4 NLT). “Herein
is love,
not that we
loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (substitute, intervention) for our sins.”
(1 John 4:10 KJV). “…There is no greater love than
to lay down one’s life…”
(John 15:13 NLT).
“God’s “…love is patient,
[God’s]…love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does
not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [God’s]…love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always
trusts, always
hopes, always
perseveres, [God’s]…love
never fails…” (1
Corinthians 13: 4-8 NIV).
“…It is of the Lord's
MERCIES
that we are not CONSUMED,
because his compassions FAIL NOT. They are NEW EVERY MORNING: great is thy faithfulness…”
(Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV
Over ALL the years, straight
through ALL of biblical history, and byway of ALL his OWN people’s unfaithfulness,
God’s MERCIFUL LOVE and GRACE is still as POWERFUL as EVER. “…I
am the Lord, I change NOT…” (Malachi 3:6 KJV). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”
(Hebrews 13:8 NIV). “…It is of the Lord's
MERCIES
that we are not CONSUMED…”
(Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV
His MERCIFUL LOVE and
GRACE reaches OUT across TIME with MORE than enough for YOU and I. God is“... RICH IN MERCY…”
(Ephesians 2:1-5 KJV). “…Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth
by the transgression of
the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not
his anger for ever,
because HE DELIGHTETH IN MERCY…” (Micah 7:18 KJV).
“..O
give thanks unto the LORD; for he is
GOOD; for his mercy
endureth
for ever” (1
Chronicles…” 16:34 KJV).
“It came …to pass, as … [they] praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever…” (2
Chronicles 5:13-14 KJV). “…The
Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous
in mercy…”
(Psalms 103:8 KJV). “…For as the heaven
is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him…”
(Psalms 103:11 KJV). “…But the mercy of the Lord
is from everlasting to everlasting
upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children…”
(Psalms 103:17 KJV).
“…He is [also]…“SO” RICH in kindness
and GRACE that he purchased our
freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins…”
(Ephesians 1:7 NLT). “….The exceeding RICHES of his GRACE in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:7 KJV). “…where
sin abounded, GRACE did much more
abound…” (Romans 5:20 KJV).
God’s MERCIFUL LOVE and
GRACE bulldozed right through mankind’s MANY offenses and sins and STILL sent
his only SON. “…God showed his great LOVE FOR US by
sending Christ to die for us while
we were still sinners…”
(Romans 5:6-8 NLT). God “…spared
not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all….?”
(Romans 8:32 KJV).
God allowed Jesus to suffer just to GET
his merciful LOVE to you “IN” Christ; even after all the historical, recorded
biblical offenses of mankind’s sins. “…Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God …” (1 Peter 3:18 KJV).
Jesus Christ willingly became the LIVING
example of God’s MERCIFUL LOVE and AMAZING GRACE? “…while
we were still sinners…”
(Romans 5:6-8 NLT). “…Pilate therefore
took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe. And said, Hail, King of the
Jews! and they smote him with their
hands….Then came Jesus forth,
wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them,
Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they
cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and
crucify him: for I find no fault in him. But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them,
Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but
Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they
took Jesus, and led him away…” (John
19:1-16 KJV),
“…And he
bearing his cross went forth into a place
called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him…”
(John 19: 17-18 KJV).
“..After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that
the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. ….When Jesus therefore had
received the vinegar, he
said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost…” (John 19:28-30 KJV).
“…Because
of the JOY awaiting him, [Jesus]…
endured the cross, disregarding its shame…”
(Hebrews 12:2 NLT).
God knew “…when he (Jesus) sees all that is
accomplished by his anguish, he
will be satisfied. And because of his
experience, my
righteous servant (Jesus) will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their
sins…” (Isaiah 53:11 NLT).
“…Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved
us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (substitute, intervention) for our sins.”
(1 John 4:10 KJV). “…There is no greater love than
to lay down one’s life…”
(John 15:13 NLT).
“…he became the author
of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him…”
(Hebrew 5:7-8-9 KJV).
“…BY GRACE have ye been SAVED
THROUGH FAITH…”
(Ephesians 2:8-9 ASV). “…RECEIVE with meekness the engrafted WORD,
which is “ABLE” to SAVE your
souls…” (James 1:21 KJV).
“…I will save you that you may BECOME A BLESSING....” (Zechariah 8:13 KJV).
“…you
were called so that you may inherit a blessing…” (1
Peter 3:9 NIV).
“…you will be a
blessing…” (Genesis 12:2 NIV).
God called Joseph to be
A BLESSING and he REVEALED it to him in a dream. “…Now
Joseph had a dream, and he
told it to his brothers; and
they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I
have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my
sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my
sheaf.” And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over
us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for
his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it
to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to
me.” So he told it to his father and his brothers;
and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers
indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers
envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind…” (Genesis 37: 5-11 NLT).
Joseph’s dream of being A BLESSING did NOT become obvious right away,
but in the PROCESS of time EVERYONE would witness it. “…And in PROCESS of time IT CAME TO PASS…” (Genesis
4:3 KJV).
In the meantime, Joseph
experienced jealousy, from his OWN brothers, because he had been declared A
BLESSING. The devil tried to use his brothers to STOP the BLESSING. “…And when they saw him afar off, even before
he came near unto them, they conspired against him to
slay him. And they said one to
another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath
devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and
he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit
that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out
of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that
they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit:
and the pit was
empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat
bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of
Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and
myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay
our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us
sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our
brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and
lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty
pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt…”
(GENESIS 37).
No one can STOP you
from being A BLESSING when God COMMANDS it. “…you will be a blessing…” (Genesis 12:2 NIV).
Joseph, therefore, had
to live in a foreign country as a servant, away from his family, for years and
years. “….Now
Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh,
captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. …”
(Genesis 39:1-6 NLT).
Even though he went through many
difficulties and ended up in prison; Joseph was “STILL” A BLESSING. “…Now Joseph was handsome in
form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s
wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But
he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has
committed all that he has to my hand. There
is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything
from me but you, because you are
his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” So it
was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with
her or to be with her. But it
happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and
none of the men of the house was
inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left
his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand
and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them,
saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I
cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my
voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went
outside.” So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she
spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you
brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice
and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” So it was,
when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your
servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place
where the king’s prisoners were
confined. And he was there in the prison…”
(Genesis 39:6-21 NLT).
God was with Joseph
when he became a servant in Potiphar’s house and he was “still” A BLESSING. “…The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of
his master the Egyptian. And his master
saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made
all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house,
and all that he had he put
under his authority.
So it was, from the time that
he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord
blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what
he had except for the bread which he ate…”
(Genesis 39:2-6 NLT).
When he went to prison God
was with him and Joseph was “still” A BLESSING. “…But the Lord was
with Joseph and showed him mercy,
and He gave
him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s
hand all the prisoners who were
in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did
not look into anything that was
under Joseph’s authority,
because the Lord was
with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper…”
(Genesis 39:21-23 NLT).
Joseph was, also, an
interpreter of dreams. When he was 30 years old he was called to interpret one
of Pharaoh’s dreams. “…Pharaoh said to
his servants, “Can we find such a one
as this, a man in whom is the
Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all
this, there is no one as
discerning and wise as you. You
shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your
word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph,
“See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet
ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments
of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the
second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph,
“I am Pharaoh, and without your
consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”. …Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty
years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt…”
(Genesis 41:37-46 NLT).
Joseph’s dream, as a
ruler, was fulfilled before the eyes of his brothers and ALL the land. The
original BLESSING came to pass. “…Now
Joseph was governor over the
land; and
it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. Joseph
saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and
spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they
said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” So Joseph
recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Then Joseph remembered
the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the
nakedness of the land!” And they said to him, “No, my lord, but
your servants have come to buy food. We are
all one man’s sons; we are
honest men; your servants are
not spies.” But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of
the land.” And they said, “Your servants are
twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the
youngest is with our father
today, and one is no more.” But
Joseph said to them, “It is as
I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are
spies!’ In this manner you
shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless
your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your
brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see
whether there is any truth in
you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” So he put them all together in prison three days.
Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house;
but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. And
bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you
shall not die.” And they did so. Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our
brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we
would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.” And Reuben answered
them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’;
and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.”
But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. And he turned
himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked
with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes…. Then he lifted his eyes and saw his
brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he
said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Now his heart yearned
for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came
out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.” …Then Joseph could
not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make
everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself
known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of
Pharaoh heard it…Then Joseph
said to his brothers, “I am
Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for
they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please
come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do
not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here…” (Genesis 43:13-24, 29-31, 44:3-5).
Was Joseph A BLESSING? “…. When Joseph’s brothers saw
that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may
actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before
your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg
you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did
evil to you.”’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of
your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also
went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” Joseph said to them, “Do
not be afraid, for am I in the
place of God? But as for you, you meant evil
against me; but God meant it
for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people
alive. Now therefore, do
not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to
them.…” (GENESIS 50:15:21).
Joseph was A BLESSING
throughout his whole life; even through exile from his family as well as
imprisonment. “…Fear not: for am I in the
place of God? But as for you, ye
thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is
this day, to save much people alive…” (Genesis
50:20 KJV).
Do you see God’s
continual BLESSINGS with Joseph during his exile as a servant and during his
imprisonment? “…The Lord was
with Joseph,
and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
…” (Genesis 39:2-6
NLT). “…But the Lord was
with Joseph and showed him mercy,
and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. …”
(Genesis 39:21-23 NLT).
Like Joseph’s
experiences demonstrate, we all go through things that are cruel and unfair.
Yet Joseph was “still” clearly BLESSED and A BLESSING through it ALL; so are
YOU. Joseph later reveals his role as A BLESSING to his brothers: “…God sent me before you to preserve life.
For
these two years the famine has been
in the land, and there are
still five years in which there will
be neither plowing nor harvesting. And
God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to
save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who
sent me here, but God;
and He has made
me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all
the land of Egypt.
“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God
has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You
shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your
children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that
you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all
that you have, come to poverty; for there
are still five years of famine.”’
“And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see
that it is my mouth that speaks
to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that
you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin
wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and
after that his brothers talked with him….”
(Genesis 43:5-15 NLT).
It took 13 years before
Joseph became ruler, but he was A BLESSING all through the years. “…I will save you that you may BECOME A BLESSING....” (Zechariah 8:13 KJV).
“…Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren
… Now Joseph had a dream …There we were, binding
sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves
stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his brothers said
to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over
us?” ……Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty
years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt”
(Genesis 37: 2,
5-14, 41:37-46). “…And in
the PROCESS of time IT CAME TO
PASS…” (Genesis 4:3 KJV).
Joseph was a servant and a prisoner for a
total of 13 years and was A BLESSING through it all. “…all
things work together for GOOD to them that LOVE GOD,
to them who are THE
CALLED to his purpose…”
(Romans 8:28 KJV). What is God’s
purpose? “….that you may
BECOME A
BLESSING....” (Zechariah 8:13 KJV).
“…I will save you that you may BECOME A BLESSING....” (Zechariah 8:13 KJV). No matter
what you go through it can NOT STOP the BLESSING of God on your life and that
blessing is for you to BECOME A BLESSING! “…Consider
what God has done: Who can
straighten what he has made crooked?” (Ecclesiastes 7:13 NIV). “….God has blessed, and
I cannot reverse
it!” (Numbers 23:20 NLT).
“…you will be a
blessing…” (Genesis 12:2 NIV). Therefore, YOU ARE “A”
BLESSING AND I AM “A” BLESSING. “…by the GRACE of
God I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV). “…by the GRACE of God [you are]…what [you are]…”
(1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV).
Apostle Paul KNEW he was “A” BLESSING and
said: “…I have
learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it
is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of
being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or
hungry, whether living in plenty or in want…”
Philippians 4:11-12 NIV). “I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians
4:13 KJV).
“…all things work together for
GOOD to them that LOVE GOD, to them who are THE CALLED
to his purpose…” (Romans 8:28 KJV).
God’s people should be
examples of what it is to be truly “A” BLESSING of God. “…THY BLESSING is upon THY PEOPLE…” (Psalms 3:8
KJV). “…YOU MAKE HIM “MOST” BLESSED forever; …” (Psalms 21:6 NASB). “…BLESSINGS
are on the head of the righteous…”
(Proverbs 10:6 NASB). “…You
surround him WITH FAVOR as with a shield…” (Psalms 5:12 NASB).
“…by the GRACE of
God I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV). “…by the GRACE of God [you are]…what [you are]…”
(1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV).
You are A BLESSING and
because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, God will BLESS
EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY around for
your SAKE. “…The Lord was
with Joseph,
and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the
Egyptian. …”
(Genesis 39:2-6 NLT). “….the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for
Joseph’s sake;
and the
blessing of the Lord was
on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what
he had except for the bread which he ate…”
(Genesis 39:2-6 NLT).
Like
Joseph, YOU ARE “A” BLESSING!! No
matter who leaves you or rejects you, or abandons you; God’s presence will
ALWAYS BLESS your life. “…you will be a
blessing…” (Genesis 12:2 NIV). “…He that
is joined unto the LORD is ONE SPIRIT…” (1 Corinthians 6:17 KJV). “…God’s Spirit dwells in you?...”
(1 Corinthians 3:16 NASB). God will “…never leave nor forsake you… …” (Hebrews
13:5).
God’s presence will
ALWAYS BLESS the life around you. “….the Lord blessed the
Egyptian’s house for
Joseph’s sake;
and the
blessing of the Lord was
on all that he had…”
(Genesis 39:2-6 NLT). “…BLESSINGS
are on the head of the righteous…”
(Proverbs 10:6 NASB). “…You
surround him
WITH FAVOR as with a shield…”
(Psalms 5:12 NASB).
God will cause YOU to
be A BLESSING by BLESSING others simply for YOUR SAKE; just like he did Potipher,
the Egyptian. “….the Lord blessed the
Egyptian’s house for
Joseph’s sake…” (Genesis 39:2-6
NLT).
God makes you A
BLESSING by making you PROSPEROUS in ALL you DO. “…The Lord made all that he “did” to prosper in his hand…”
(Genesis 39:3 KJV).
It is the PRESENCE and
POWER of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit that makes you prosperous and wealthy in
the things YOU DO. “…Remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that GIVETH
thee POWER to
GET WEALTH…” (Deuteronomy 8:18
KJV). “…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who HATH blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ…” (Ephesians
1:3 KJV).
By God’s GRACE are you
“A” BLESSING. “…by the GRACE of
God I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV). “…A man can receive
nothing, except it BE GIVEN him from heaven…” (John 3:27 KJV).
“…The LORD SHALL GIVE that
which is good…” (Psalms 85:12 KJV). “…Every
good GIFT and every perfect GIFT
is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…”
(James 1:17 KJV). “…What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is
from God, why
boast as though it were not a gift?...”
(1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT).
“…Thanks
be unto God for his unspeakable GIFT[S]…” (2 Corinthians 9:16 KJV). “ …We have this treasure “in” earthen vessels…” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 KJV). “…[People will]… know (witness)
that everything [you]… have IS A GIFT “FROM” [God]…”
(John 17:6-9 NLT).
“…by the GRACE of
God I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV). “…by the GRACE of God [you are]…what [you are]…”
(1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV).
I AM “A” BLESSING.
YOU ARE “A” BLESSING.
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