BLESSINGS – by Raphael ben Levi
God’s abundant blessings are uniquely packaged that may on occasions be concealed. Although everything works together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Rom. 8:28) it is a conditional promise whereby our responses truly define our lives! God desires that we learn to see things from His perspective not our own and to trust Him irrespective of our circumstances. Dare we trust God even when He is silent? King David understood this point clearly and applied it resolutely and with confidence: “Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” (Ps.103:1)
The ancient Hebrew word to ‘bless’ literally means, ‘to kneel.’ When we bless Him we are in fact bringing Him a gift on bended knee. Our best gift is when we voluntarily surrender our lives unconditionally to Him.
The measure to which one follows in the footsteps of the Master identifies those who He considers the greatest in His Kingdom. Yeshua said: “He who wishes to be greatest amongst you should be the servant of all.” He demonstrated it perfectly throughout His earthly life, the King of Kings who became the Servant King so graphically described in Isai.53. First love is the well-spring that nourishes this relationship and finds expression in our worship of Him in body, soul and spirit. Without it, we eventually wither and die.
Let’s take what God has blessed us with today in both hands and release it as a sweet-smelling aroma unto Him! May He fashion each one of us into one of His ‘greats’ for those who are willing to pay the price. My prayer for you today is this:
“Father, out of Your honourable and glorious riches, strengthen Your people. Fill (these) souls with the power of Your Spirit… May love be the rich soil where (their) lives take root. May it be the bedrock where (their) lives are founded so that together with all of Your people (they) will have the power to understand that the love of God is infinitely long, wide, high, and deep, surpassing everything anyone previously experienced. May Your fullness flood through (their) entire being.
Now unto Him who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us, to Him be all glory in the church and in Yeshua the Anointed from this generation to the next, forever and ever. Amen!” (Eph. 3:15-21)
