You Are Blessed When You Come In and You Go Out
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January 09, 2011 |
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 "All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out." (Deuteronomy 28:2-6)
The New Year 2011 broke in the midst of great hope. The world is suffering from famine, diseases, earthquakes, wars, terrorism, and so on and many countries are facing difficulties in political, economical and social aspects. But anyone can stay away from anxiety and worries, and can receive blessing if he obeys the Word of God. What shall then we do in order to abide in true blessing and glorify God with the blessings we receive when we come in and go out?
1. If You Obey the Word of God the LORD
In the 12th chapter of the book of Genesis, God commanded Abraham to leave his country and depart from his relatives and his father's house. Abraham didn't know where to go but because he completely trusted in God, he simply obeyed God and left his home without getting involved in any fleshly thought. This action of obedience and departure was the proof of his faith in God (Hebrews 11:8).
Abraham also believed God has the ruling power over disaster and blessing. After he obeyed God and left his home, he moved into Egypt because of severe famine and there he met with a predicament where his wife was taken away by the Pharaoh. But by his faith he experienced a work of God where that woe turned into blessing.
God did not allow Abraham to continually stay in that predicament. God struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues and the Pharaoh immediately sent Sarah back to Abraham (Genesis 12:17). He had no loss at all but short distress in his heart and rather he was given sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels by the Pharaoh. His wife was taken away temporarily but the incident turned into blessings in spirit and flesh, and through this experience his trust and faith in God rose to a higher level.
2. All These Blessings Will Come upon You and Overtake You
God commanded Abraham to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering whom he had begot at 100. When a bull was offered as a burnt offering, it was cut into pieces: the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse, and burn it on wood with fire, and then all the pieces were burned on wood with fire. Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
He could never have obeyed this command if he had got involved in any human thought. It was because God had once promised him, saying, "through Isaac your descendants shall be named" and "I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you." What would have become of the promise of God if Abraham had offered Isaac as a burnt offering?
But Abraham simply obeyed without thinking of any reason. He believed that God would be able to raise the dead and that God is so good that He never commands him to do anything that is not good (Hebrews 11:17-19). Abraham committed every matter to God who rules over life, death, blessing and woe and trusted Him, so that God blessed him in everything he did (Genesis 24:1). Finally, Abraham was blessed to be called the 'father of faith' and a 'friend of God' (James 2:23) and received overflowing blessing in every affair including finance, children, and health.
3. Blessed Shall You Be When You Come In and You Go Out
1) Blessed Are the City and the Country You Live In
Deuteronomy 28:3 reads, "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country." As recorded in this verse, Abraham was blessed in the city he was dwelling in and in the area he was staying in.
At that time water well was so rare but Abraham was so rich in water where he went. He was so rich in everything and his nephew Lot also was blessed so that the land could not sustain them while dwelling together. Their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. Lot was rich in everything while dwelling together, but his life was found miserable after he chose the land that seemed better to his eyes and left Abraham.
2) Fruitful and Blessed Are Your Children, Works, Businesses, Possessions, and Food
Deuteronomy 28:4 reads, "Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock."
According to the promise recorded in the Scripture, Abraham's son Isaac was blessed and his descendants have been blessed generation after generation (Genesis 26:4). God shows lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Him and keep His commandments (Exodus 20:6).
And the Scripture says 'the produce of your ground' will be blessed. If you obey the Word of God your home, works and business are blessed. The blessing in the offspring of your beasts and the increase of your herd and the young of your flock means you are rich in your possessions and food through the blessing of God.
The reason that Abraham was rich in everything was because God walked with him in everything he did.
3) You Shall Be Blessed When You Come In and When You Go out
In the presence of God with him, Abraham received blessing in every affair and all his ways were successful. In addition, many people around him could enjoy some portions from among abundant blessings God gave Abraham and loved and honored him accordingly.
When he left his country and departed from his father's house, God promised him He would bless those who blessed him and pour down curses upon those who cursed him. As promised, Abraham was served by the people around him wherever he was and respectably treated even by the king of a country. This means he was blessed when he came in and went out.
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