What is God’s greatest blessing? Is it being healthy and whole? Or is it wealth and prosperity? Perhaps it’s family? Success seems like a blessing, but is it the greatest blessing? Life, surely life is God’s greatest blessing, isn’t it?
“Blessing” is one of those words used but not understood. It is said with care but without the surety of what it really means. Achoo – bless you. Some Bible translations equate blessing with happiness, but it is so much more. Some see blessing as a mark of God’s acceptance and approval. Yet Jesus instructed his disciples to “bless those that curse you” and noted that some God’s blessings fall on saint and sinner alike. “Blessing” is a favor of God, sometimes an emotion, sometimes a fact, sometimes a status, sometimes a comfort. Some blessings of God are poured out on all mankind. Some are reserved, such as those specified in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” So, God’s blessing is multifaceted and many things can be a blessing. But, what is God’s greatest blessing?
Think of the someone important to you but inaccessible like a billionaire, a sports star, a rock star, or a politician. Any of these has the means to bless you with $1000.00 without much thought (although the politician will undoubtedly use someone else’s money). For me that someone would be Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in America. He could drop $1000.00 into my checking account without even feeling it. Something meaningless to him would be meaningful to me. But which would I rather have – $1000.00 or 1 hour of his time? Both would be a blessing but time would be the greater blessing. Time to get to know this individual who has changed the world. Time to pick his brain for nuggets of history and his vision for the future. Time to get to know him in some small way.
While God’s blessings are many His greatest blessing is to know Him. To walk with Jesus along the paths of our life. To take our troubles and burdens to Him. To follow His voice as we face trouble, temptation, and choices. To freely enter into His throne room anytime, anywhere, to express thanksgiving, joy, awe, worship, petition, intercession, hurts, pains, and confusions. To request God’s wisdom, knowledge, and grace. To have our hearts tuned to hear His voice and to see His hand in so many different ways. Surely, God’s greatest revelation of Himself is the Bible. But we also see His hand in nature’s wonders. We feel the promptings of the Holy Spirit pointing, stirring, and reminding us of whose we are. We also see and hear glimpses of God through other men and women of faith in Christ. All of these things, these moments, these experiences are part of God’s greatest blessing; to know Him
Understanding God’s greatest blessing allows us to grasp why Jesus commanded us to “bless those that curse you.” In this “fight fire with fire,” world returning blessing for curses is counterintuitive. We would rather raise our shields and fight back. If we equate blessing with health and prosperity it doesn’t make sense. Why should we desire our enemies to be stronger? But if we understand that God’s greatest blessing is Himself that changes our whole perspective. Therefore, we refuse to fight the battle according to their rules. Instead, we take the fight to a whole different level where the stakes are much higher and have eternal consequence. No longer are we battling against those that curse, slander, and mock; we are battling for them.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB95)
And, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NASB95)
Therefore, “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” (Luke 6:27–31, NASB95)
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