Living within the blessing of our Heavenly Father has proven to be exciting! As God unveiled the hidden truths of his blessing in my life, my entire understanding of blessing began to unravel.
I used to looked at Solomon and his riches and thought about how much he must have pleased God to be so richly blessed. He was the wealthiest man on earth! Surely when he asked for wisdom, Solomon must have applied it well. He amassed great wealth and power. A kingdom like no other was his to command. There is no question that the favor of the Lord was upon his life and the work of his hands.
Then I would see Joseph. A man who honored the Lord with his whole heart. He began as a shepherd and rose from slavery to commanding all the possessions of Pharoh, the ruler of one of the most powerful nations on earth. Surely, God was pleased with him.
I began to experience the blessings of God in my life to the extent that my wife and I could no longer afford to operate the vehicles that God had provided us to minister in. I foolishly prayed, "God, would you please stop blessing us. We can't afford it!"
With a gentle but firm response, God spoke to me,"If I only blessed you to the point of your comfort it would no longer be a blessing - it would become a curse. The true blessing is what draws you near to me."
At that moment I cried out,"Lord Bless me! Bless me, however you will in whatever way you desire! Draw me near to you, Father!"
When we look at what is a blessing in our lives we must not look at the blessing as the result of something but the beginning of something greater. When the Lord God blesses us, it is to bring us into a closer relationship with him. No, I am not saying that hardships in your life are the measure of God's blessing. I am saying that what we may see as hardship is nothing more than a step into the greater blessing of the Lord.
We were given two vans, and yet, we could only handle the finances to operate one. The blessing posed a problem, but it was the beginning of a greater blessing for us. God instructed us to give one van away to someone specific after they understood what faith was. As we did this, God used that day as a life-altering moment in their lives. Our greater blessing was watching as the seed of faith grew not only in an individual, not just in a couple, but to hear about how that seed began to affect a whole people group and region. God allowed us to be a part of something great that he was doing.
We will never experience the fullness of God's blessing in our lives if we see his blessings as a result. Greater blessings are experienced when each blessing is seen as the seed of greater blessing.
Published author and speaker, Chad Nedland continues to minister and serve in communities and churches as God leads he and his family throughout the United States of America. Stepping out in faith, they gave away all they had to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and teach about the fullness of a life with God.
His greatest passion is encouraging and challenging other believers to walk in the fullness of their calling and identity in Christ.
Challenge and inspire your next event, gathering or church by going to http://www.liveyourfaithnow.com/apps/contactme/sites/show and asking Chad to come speak today!
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