THE BLESSING OR THE BENEFITS

Prov. 10:22

Every human being wishes to prosper and enjoy the good things of life though the level of desire differs. Unfortunately, many people will live and die without really enjoying life. God himself wants all his Children to be blessed and enjoy life therefore everyone who is born again is blessed and has the potential to enjoy the blessing and benefits attached to them(Ephe.1:3). Note however, that the instinct to increase and be blessed may never be fulfilled in spite of this potential unless you know how to get them. God wants you to have real blessings. Blessings than can endure, that can produce many benefits without sorrow added to it.

There are some things you need to know and practice to activate/increase the blessings of God:

1. Recognize the difference between the ‘blesser’, the blessing and the benefits.
   
   God is the one who can truly bless you, He is the ‘blesser’. In Gen.1:28, God pronounced his blessing on the men he had created, thereafter he said they should be fruitful and multiply. He gave the man a garden to keep (a job) with all kinds of fruits as food and also gave him a wife. All these things that follow the pronouncement of the blessing are the benefits of the blessing received from God.God also anoints some of his servants and puts them in the position of the ‘blessers’ in your life. These men of God are people whose prayers activate the blessing of God in your life. Examples of such people are your Pastors or Father/ Mother in the Lord or anyone in the position of spiritual authority over you including husbands. Note that your parents also fall into this category, they are ‘blessers’ especially if they are born again.The blessing is what God confers on a man when he is pleased with him and this gives such a person the potential to get all kinds of good things he desires in life i.e the benefits. The psalmist makes us understand in Psalms 1:1-3 that someone who is blessed is connected to the source of supply continuously.

   The blessing is ability to achieve something, it’s not tangible; it’s not something you can see. For instance when Solomon offered burnt offerings to God in 2 Chronicles chapter 1;12 God blessed him. Most likely there was no visible difference in his life the following morning but that experience changed his life so much that he remains the richest king that ever lived. Examples of blessings include relationships, life in Christ, the call of God, wisdom, inheritances, talents, business ideas, High Intelligent Quotient. Blessings can increase in level, multiply and be added to.

   Usually, the benefits are material things like riches or wealth that you can see or feel or experience tangibly. It can also be in form of academic success, great career/job, good health, blissful marriage, peace, etc. God still blesses people today and allows them to enjoy its benefits (Psalms 68:19) but note that the real prosperity of a believer is not how big the benefits you can see are.

   Some people wonder why those who don’t respect God or his word are wealthy or have any other earthly blessing if God is the one that blesses. The issue is that what they have is different from what we have. They have material things which cannot go beyond this world and can disappear any moment; we have blessing which is beyond riches, honour and wealth with which we serve him, serve others, enjoy ourselves and sow into our future in heaven. Moreover, our blessing is a potential to have all these benefits and enjoy them without sorrow. Many people who are rich or wealthy have other issues in their lives that give them pain or sorrow but the blessing from God is a full package that results into wealth, success, good health, peace, blissful marriage, honour etc. Proverbs 10:22 says there’s no sorrow or pain attached to the blessing of God.

2. Don’t ever despise or trade your blessing (your inheritance) for anything even if it looks insignificant to you now.In Numbers 27: 1-8, the daughters of Zelophehad decided to ask Moses to give them the inheritance that was meant for their family even though they were females. Moses had no response initially but after asking God, God agreed with the ladies, therefore he gave them. Moreover, their action led to the establishment of the rule that whenever a male was not available to inherit the land of the family, the female available would. What if they had not summoned the boldness to ask? Never despise whatever is your right. After this rule was made, the fathers in their tribe also protested that if these ladies married, they would take part of the land of the tribe to another tribe. God also supported the heads of their tribe in their struggle to ensure that their inheritance was not lost and told Moses that the ladies must not marry from another tribe. God teaches us through these passages to protect our inheritance.Moses the man of God told the daughters of Zelophehad that they could not marry from another tribe in order to retain the inheritance of their families and they were obedient; none of them married outside their tribe (Numbers 36:1-12). Don’t trade the inheritance of your family for a wrong marriage. If there’s a call of God upon your life or your family (God usually calls families); you cannot afford to marry just anybody even among Christians. Your partner must be directed by God and be someone who will help you to preserve your destiny; otherwise you will not be able to fulfil the call.

   Esau was the first child of Isaac and, therefore, had a right of firstborn which involved a lot of things including the covenant of God with the descendants of Abraham. He probably did not understand the covenant very well and therefore despised it and traded his right of firstborn for a plate of food. At that point in time, the food was something he needed badly and it was a like a great benefit to have it, but he lost something precious eternally. Something that could fetch him more than food or clothing or house or any other thing in this world; the opportunity of a special relationship with God

   What is your inheritance as a child of God? Your number one inheritance is God himself. You must be careful not to allow anything to make you lose him (Many lose him through sin or careless living). God is looking for people in our days who will protect their inheritances. You need to protect your opportunity of having a deep relationship with God (through good quiet time, fellowships, spiritual conferences etc.). Many are trading such opportunities for more money in businesses or jobs that will not allow a good relationship with God. They will get momentary benefits of wealth that will be sweet like Esau’s porridge, but they may be missing their real blessing that could have even fetched them greater wealth in the future.

   Your virginity or sanctity of marriage is a blessing but unfortunately many people don’t have regards for it. If you are single, you should not have sex until your wedding day and if you are married, you should never have sex with any other person. Your partner is a blessing and should be regarded greater than the momentary sexual enjoyment before marriage or with someone else after marriage. Defiling your marriage bed can destroy your call or your blessing. God says ‘let married life be honoured among all of you and not made unclean; for men untrue in married life will be judged by God’. (Heb 13:4. (BBE). If Joseph had slept with Portiphar’s wife, he might never have reached the prison and hence never have reached the palace. He respected his virginity and destiny, in spite of hardship and God’s blessing remained on him.

   When you trade despise or trade your blessing for ephemeral things, it prevents you from getting other blessings.

3. Live your life bearing in mind this order of priorities, the ‘blesser’ first, then the blessing and lastly the benefits
   Seek the ‘blesser’ and his blessing not the benefits. In 2 Chronicles 1:1-12. Solomon had been given an assignment to lead the people of God. This was a great privilege, a blessing indeed, yet he kept on seeking God. Solomon offered a great offering to God, ‘the blesser’ and was told to ask anything he wanted. His first consideration was his call, ‘the blessing’. He was conscious of the great privilege to have been given this responsibility of leading the people of God and he made this his primary concern. He asked for wisdom and knowledge to do the assignment well. What he was asking for was still ‘a blessing’ not benefits. Though his father had declared blessing on him while praying for him according to Psalms 72; he also had a right attitude of concentrating on the assignment (his inheritance, his blessing) and asking God for his blessing of wisdom.When you seek the blesser and his blessing, all other things will surely be added to you. Solomon sought God, gave him several offerings, asked for wisdom, not riches, not the life of his enemies. God gave him a high level of wisdom and great riches that no one ever had or would ever have. No wonder he said in Prov. 4: 7-9 that wisdom is the principal thing and if you get it, it will promote you, bring you to honour, give you an ornament of grace and a crown of glory.Whatever you have also perceived or seen as your destiny or the assignment God has given to you should be seen as your blessing; even if it is not fetching you money yet. Make it your primary concern to get wisdom to do it well. As you pursue the vision, you will have provision. God will provide for the vision and as the provisions pass through you, you will have more than enough to take care of your needs. According to 2 Chronicles 1:V15 God who is the owner of all riches and honour allowed Solomon to make silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones. God can do the same for you if only you will put him first and seek his face concerning your call instead of neglecting it.

• Don’t look for material gain when you are around ‘blessers’; seek their blessing.
  Be careful when you are around people that God has placed as ‘blessers’ in your life to treat them like so and not people to ‘suck’ or gain material things from so that you don’t miss your blessing. Illust. A sister expecting Christmas gift from her Pastor.
  I remember when I wrote my first book, I was really concerned about recovering the cost and therefore aggressive in introducing it to people (including men of God) to buy. One day I met a man of God who had come to teach in ‘Refreshing Manna’ in the past and I introduced the book as usual. He asked me for the price and immediately I sensed a restraint in my heart and told him it’s a prophet offering. Can you believe that right there and then in the banking hall, he started declaring blessings on me? I thank God because today, I have several testimonies concerning how several thousands of the book have been sold miraculously.

• Destroy the tendency to treat people who have money with greater esteem and honour than those who embrace the call of God.
  In our society today, people honour those who are rich or wealthy and some even fear them not caring to know the source of their wealth. It is proper to give honour to whom honour is due but those who embrace the call of God and are in position of spiritual leadership deserve more honour than those who are just rich or wealthy. Note that even among ministers, it is wrong for you to honour those who are wealthier materially, riding big cars more than others just because those ones don’t have the things of this world. Jesus said in Luke 12:15 that the life of man does not consist in the abundance of things he has.

In Genesis 14: 17-21, after the war to rescue Lot, the Sodomites and their goods, Abraham first paid attention to Melchizedek the Priest of the most High God before he discussed with the King of Sodom. He recognized this priest as a blesser and placed him above all the benefits (the spoil) the King of Sodom could give him for winning that war. If this situation was in our days, an average Christian in Abraham’s situation would have wanted to quickly settle the deal and get his portion from the business before having time for the Priest of God. In v19, Melchizedek blessed him (v19) and in the following Chapter (Gen. 15:1) God told him that He himself would be his reward. Can you imagine if God who possesses the whole heaven and earth decide to make himself a gift for you? You can never lack anything good. In gen15:18, God made a covenant with him that his children will inherit the whole land from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

• When you respect money more than anointing, even if God calls you and anoints you, you may continue with the mentality that people who are richer than you in the things of this world are better than you. This leads to a lot of ‘servants of God’ trading their ‘inheritance’ (the call and the anointing) for money. They trample on the covenant between them and God, disobey the bible just to be able to get money or retain the rich as close allies.
• When you respect the anointing of God on others; the blessing of God on your life will increase. The widow of Zarephath respected the anointing of God on the life of Elijah and obeyed the instruction to give him food first, this increased the blessing on her life and she was able to get provision miraculously until there was rain in the land. Moreover, this blessing made it possible for her son who died to be raised back to life. 1 kings 17:1-15.

• Ask yourself sincerely which one do you choose when faced with a tight situation that demands a choice between:
  • Quiet time or early morning meeting on Saturday?
  • Workers’ meeting or business opportunity?
  • Who do you respect more, God or your boss?
  • Refreshing manna or wedding?
  • Preaching the gospel or healthy diet talk
  • Obey the word of God (written or spoken) or disobey it to pass an exam?

Choosing to obey is to retain the ‘blesser’ and the blessing while going against anything the bible says for the sake of material things or convenience is choosing benefits. God is watching your heart !

4. Learn and follow the gates to enter into God’s blessing.Some practical things you need to keep doing to activate or increase the blessing of God on your life include the following:

• Maintaining his presence: Learn to maintain a close walk with God, he would command his blessing on you. God‘s presence was with Joseph and he was blessed. This blessing made Joseph to prosper in Portiphar’s house though he was a slave (Gen 39:2-4), in the prison though he was prisoner (Gen 39: 21-23) and in the palace as a deputy to the King (Gen 41: 40—45).
  • Get ideas and direction concerning blessing and benefits
  • He gives ideas that will yield multiple benefits
  • Don’t allow anything to destroy your relationship: Sin, Unforgiveness etc

• Knowledge: God wants you to be knowledgeable about his promises, his blessings and their benefits. 11:9. You have a right to the blessings of God but anyone that you don’t know you cannot enjoy fully. If you don’t know them and want to enjoy them, that means you expect him to bless you unconsciously and he would not do that. God would not want to violate your will. Remember that understanding is a well spring of life (Prov. 16:22), therefore don’t stop at superficial knowledge; get full understanding of the word of God concerning each promise. When you understand an aspect of life very well, that understanding becomes a blessing and you will be drawing benefits from it.
  • Get expert knowledge concerning your desired benefit

• Faith & Persistence: If you cannot see the blessing in your mind, you will not see them in your future. You should let the word of God dwell in you to an extent of forming pictures of what you expect in your heart and you can visualize it. This is faith. You need this level of assurance in your heart to be able to receive anything from God.
  • Sometimes when you pray for a benefit and it seems the answer is not forthcoming, God may be positioning you for the real blessing behind it.

• Sowing: Ephe.6:8, 2 Chronicles1:6&7: Solomon had made great sacrifices to the Lord at Gibeon where God’s tabernacle was located and God was moved into action and asked him what he wanted.

• If you really want God’s blessings, you must be obedient to the written and spoken word of God concerning every aspect of your life.
  • John 2:1-10
    • Even if the thing seems to be a step backward or something you don’t really want to do. John. 2:7

Conclusion:

You should be watchful for situations that challenge you to choose between the ‘blesser’ or blessing or benefits. We encounter them daily. God is not against you seeking the benefits of his blessings but you should determine never to place them above Him or his spiritual blessing. The blessing will give you enduring riches, good health, successful career, blissful marriage, peace etc without any sorrow added to it.