Encountering the God of Blessing

Encountering the God of Blessing

John D. GarrBy John D. Garr4 Minutes

Far too many people today think of God as a harsh, bitter old man who sits on a throne in a land far, far away, just waiting for an opportunity to judge some poor soul who has violated one of His commandments.

But the true image of the God of Scripture is just the opposite. The Almighty is portrayed in the Bible as a God of love, mercy, and kindness. He’s the God of blessing.

King David said, “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). John declared simply that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and he maintained that without love it is impossible to know God.

The apostle Paul encapsulated God’s “blessing” nature in these beautiful words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Instead of being promised just a few blessings, the Bible says every spiritual blessing is available to us in Christ.

Reversing the Curse

However, there’s a problem. Even though blessing is implanted by our Heavenly Father into the very fiber of human existence, His Word warns against the curse and consequences of sin. All men and women initially were slaves to sin (Romans 3:23, 5:12). David lamented the human condition that had produced his unspeakable sins of murder and adultery: “I was born in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).

Likewise, the apostle Paul described the pain of sin’s addiction: “The good that I will to do, I do not do: but the evil that I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:19).

The record of human history is clear: “There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). Unless Jesus had died for us on the cross, the curse of sin could never have been lifted.

God’s Blessing Plan

God was not content to leave humanity in sin. He refused to dwell on the “original sin” and focused on His own plan for humanity: “original blessing.”

Instead of seeking our condemnation, God “gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). To ensure the fulfillment of His original blessing to humanity, God was manifested in the flesh in the person of His Son (John 1:14) and offered Himself as an atonement for the sins of humanity (Ephesians 1:7).

Now all who come to faith in Jesus are delivered from the curse of sin, able to enter fully into their Heavenly Father’s blessing!

God has always been, and will always be, the God of blessing. Because of that, you can be confident that “goodness and mercy” will follow you if you are following Him. And because His blessings never come to an end, you will dwell in His house forever (Psalm 23:6). Let the God of blessing show you His love and blessings today!

You can have this kind of relationship with God. Learn how.