The Bible and Blessings

1 Peter:8-9 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

Blessings said over our families, friends, our country’s leaders and the lives we touch, using God’s Word bestows the richness of mercy, the affirmation of value of the person in your life, breathes new life into hurting souls and speaks of His love and grace. Rather brings home the need to stay in The Word, doesn’t it? You cannot speak a language, in this case - God’s language, you do not know. When we ask God to open the wealth of His wisdom to us, as written in the pages of the Bible, the Holy Spirit becomes our private tutor.  

The Bible is a living communication from God to us. The insights it provides are revealed by the Holy Spirit as the Lord wills and we get a new glimpse into God’s character, priorities, and unlimited resources. Our trust in God is strengthened as we allow ourselves to be saturated with His Word. Let’s review some important facets of His message:

· God’s plan for our salvation is spelled out through His recurring theme of forgiveness and redemption.

· He emphasizes the eternal nature of His being and of His covenant with Israel.

· He reveals the mystery of the Church, grafted into the tree of Israel to become joint heirs to the

redemption and blessing reserved for His chosen ones.

· The Lord conveys His Fatherhood in the way He speaks about His love, mercy, compassion, grace, and favor toward us.

· God makes it clear that we have access to His power, authority, and protection through our

divine inheritance.

· The Lord communicates our ability to exercise wisdom and knowledge, strength and courage because we have been inhabited by His Holy Spirit.

· He teaches us to speak words of life and to minister with His anointing.

· He convinces us we have the ability to think and behave differently by showing He has infused us with His character.

· God’s Word demonstrates the value He places on marriage, family, and legacy.

· The Lord instructs us in how we are to bless Him, honor Him, and worship Him.

· God persuades us He is both willing and able to be our provider and our healer.

· He consoles us as our source of peace, rest, and joy.

· The Lord expresses His desire to abide with us and experience constant fellowship with us.

The Bible holds the keys to knowing God’s will and direction for our lives. As we permit it, God’s Word will guide us on our journey toward achieving the goals He established for us. If we are to follow His plan for our lives, it is essential that we also pattern the way we talk after the way God talks.

There are a number of important reasons we speak blessings. First, our blessings convey that God is the loving, sovereign, omniscient Creator. When we recognize His eternal significance, it has a way of putting our earthly needs into perspective. We find great comfort when we embrace the Holy One who loved us enough to adopt us as His sons and daughters.

Second, our blessings invite God’s involvement. As we speak blessings, we are prayerfully making declarations about God’s promises and character. We are expressing our confidence in His intervention in our lives. We are petitioning the Lord to insert His power and authority into our situation, whether it is for healing, provision, favor, rescue, or direction. I have often heard news of tragic events and thought, “How can they possibly get through that without God?” In reality, none of us can get through anything without God! We must be diligent in asking God for His involvement in our lives and in the world around us.

Third, our blessings encourage and exhort the recipient. To be informed or reminded that God’s righteous, omnipotent hand is ready to touch us in our current condition gives us hope and encouragement. 

Most importantly, our blessings release the blessing of God. We are acting as His ambassadors when we use His language to bless. Therefore, as we speak blessings to others, we are not merely sharing human thoughts. We are tangibly impacting their lives with divine authority.