Genesis 22:15-19 God says, specifically Jesus, The Angel Of the Lord, says “I have sworn by myself, I will bless you … through your offspring all nations”

Have you prayed the prayer “Lord bless me”?  Maybe you didn’t word it that way, but perhaps you have said, “Lord I want to be appreciated, accepted, strengthened, loved, praised”.  This word is the Hebrew word Ba-rek.  In its simplest form, it means to kneel.  The picture then is of a subject kneeling before a Sovereign.  A more complete definition of it’s usage is “to fill with strength, praised, adored”

“God bless me, Lord have people appreciate me, recognize me, love me, praise me.” Well if that’s what you want, if you want the praise and approval of people, God might give you that. but when you have that, you have it and there is no more.  But I would rather seek The Lord’s Blessing.  His praise, strength, adoration is what i seek.

But notice that God told Abraham, “I WILL Bless You”.  There are two noticeable aspects of that sentence grammatically and practically.  

1) “I Will” means there IS a certainty of it.  Not, “I might” but I WILL.  The promises of God are certain, they are sure, they are done, so Yes, I can be sure that GOD will bless me … but

2) “I will” means a future event.  Oh certainly, He HAS blessed us and is blessing us.  But there is a FUTURE to the blessing.  Praise the Lord, the best is yet to come.  The greatest filling, greatest blessing, greatest praise WILL come when we see him face to face and he says “well done child … enter in.”

So then, let me expand on this with Three Quick Things I see here in this promise to Abraham of Blessing

1) God’s blessing alone is ENOUGH – We serve, follow, obey, not for the praise and glory of men but for an audience of ONE.  If no one else praise me, then the pleasure of God is Enough.  If they know HIS name and HE knows my name, then that is ENOUGH for ME, yes Enough, more than enough.

2) God’s promised Blessing to Abraham was more about others than about him.  Remember the greatest part of the blessing was that “through your offspring all nations will be blessed” because of Abraham’s obedience and availability.  It was about God being obeyed and others being blessed.  The greatest blessing is to know that God will bless others through us.  To know that God would praise, love, adore, fill with strength other through me is a great blessing in and of itself.  So there is a “to do list” for the servant of God: a) praise b) love c) fill with strength d) for God’s glory e) as we obey his commands.  And in THAT we are praised, loved, and filled with strength

3) God’s blessing was more of a Legacy than a present experience.  Surely every breath from God was a blessing for Abraham.  And God blessed him with many things, like a beautiful wife, so beautiful that as an Older Women men were still trying to steal her from Abraham.  Abraham was blessed with success and prosperity though he lived his life mostly nomadic in tents.  But the Big Promised blessing, Abraham spent his whole life looking TOWARD it, hoping in its fulfillment.  His son wasn’t born until he was 100.  But the presence of Isacc wasn’t even the fullness of the promised blessing.  The promised blessing was a legacy.  It would come after he died as Israel became a nation, became a light to the Gentiles, and became the birthplace for the Savior of the world.  Our greatest blessings are a legacy, a promised inheritance.  My joy is knowing that my physical and spiritual sons will advance the gospel and enlarge the Kingdom beyond my reach.  The blessing of God is long term.  Oh I like physically healthy days, but those days are just foreshadow of joy divine when I have a body like that of Christ’s resurrected body, no tears, no pain.  The blessings of a powerful worship experience with brothers and sisters is but a foretaste of glory divine standing before the throne with every race, tribe, and tongue as we proclaim and praise our worthy lamb slain for our sins.  My salvation is a blessing but just a down payment on an eternal blessing of light and life eternal, removed from the penalty, power, and presence of sin.

Bless Me Lord!

Bless me with you and that’s enough for me, today and for eternity, you are all I need!

There is an old hymn by Fredrick Brook: My Goal is God Himself

My Goal is God himself, not joy nor peace

nor even blessing, but himself, my God;

‘Tis His to lead me there – not mine, but His

At ANY COST, dear Lord, by ANY ROAD

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So Faith bounds forward to its goal in God

and love can trust her Lord to lead her there

upheld by him, my soul is following hard

Till God hat full fulfilled my deepest prayer

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No matter if the way be sometimes dark

no matter though the cost at times great

He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark

The way that leads to him must needs be strait

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One thing I know, i cannot say Him nay

One thing i do, i press towards my Lord

My God my glory here, from day to day

And in the glory there, my great reward