Abba, Father, I …

Are you seeking God’s blessing? Do you pray “God bless me?” Then this post is for you.

In the last post, Blessed! The old blessing, we looked at the blessing that the Lord God promised to man, through Abraham. That blessing was started off with Abraham. But that was just the start:

I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” ( Gen. 12:3 NIV)

See, it was meant for ” all peoples on earth”, not just Abraham’s descendants.

As you most likely know, the promise was fulfilled in Christ Jesus about 2000 years ago.

Heirs of a blessing

That means that we Christians are living that blessing. Do note this: in Abraham’s time, the blessing’s  fulfillment date was a “future” time. Abraham received the material portion of the blessing, as a foretaste of what was to come.

When Christ said “it is finished”, he ushered in that blessed period, where, anyone, absolutely anyone, who believes in Him, is empowered to partake of the nature of God. That believing person is given chance to become a son of God, inherit eternal life and live forever. In other words, to that person, God becomes his “very great reward” as Abraham was promised.

That, becoming a child of God, was the blessing promised to mankind!

And it is here.

“It is finished!”, said Christ.

It is done. You are blessed!

That is the gospel.

So, this should be obvious to every Christian who is a child of God, right? Right. But this great truth seems to have been lost in all the noise and shouts that proclaim  “God wants you to prosper”. This truth is not being fully appreciated especially by those who have bought into the mind boggling  teaching of the prosperity Gospel.

If you listened in to a typical prayer that results from that “other” gospel, the prosperity gospel, you hear these:

“Lord bless me. Lord prosper me. Lord give me houses i did not build. Lord give me the riches of darkness. Lord give the riches of the heathen. Lord i have sowed this $$ seed, now multiply it to $$$$$$”,

What would anyone conclude from these quests? That, to the Christian, Christ is but the beginning and material prosperity is the end or fulfillment of the Christian lifestyle here on earth.

What more do you want?

When you pray “Lord bless me!”, what are you saying to the Lord? Especially in the context of material stuff, you basically are saying, “I have Christ, but He is not enough for me. I will be better off with this cool car, and this big mansion, and millions of $$ in the bank”. If not that, what is it that you are saying?

You, my dear, by pounding the Lord our Father for material prosperity, have become the prodigal son, who is demanding of his father, “Give me my inheritance now. I am bored spending time at home with you. I want to go away from home and enjoy my inheritance”. If that is not it, what is it that you are saying?

He has declared that you are blessed. Your seeking after material stuff says you do not believe Him. The prosperity preachers are making you believe you are being spiritual by seeking prosperity, when in fact you are calling the Lord a liar.

God does not hold back

Just like the father in the prodigal son parable, the Lord has no reason to keep or hoard anything from you. Why would He? He does not need the stuff for Himself. In addition, the stuff is all yours, coming your way, anyway. You will inherit it. You are in line to inherit all things. And if you need it, why would he withhold it from you?

³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ( Romans 8:32 NIV)

Note the word graciously give. It is given of grace. You generally do not ask for grace gifts, do you?

Abraham did not ask to be prosperous. Neither did Solomon. It is always the pleasure of the Father to bless and prosper his children as he sees fit.

“God, i sowed $$$. give me $$$$$”

He will give us all things. But when that is ALL that you go to Him for, you break His heart. And you strain the relationship with Him. You break the fellowship with him.  I am a father. I would get totally  heartbroken if all the conversation my son David had with me was “Daddy give me this. Daddy you promised you would buy me this toy”.

I love my son, yet i get offended and cross when he treats me like a toy machine. Do you think your heavenly Father likes being treated like a prosperity machine?

A better way

Here is a better way to deal with this prosperity issue.

1. Do understand that what you need He has already given to you. Has He not committed himself to take care of you? I am a father. What my son David needs, he always has, even before he asks me. It might take time, but i supply his need as best as i know how. Unlike me, the Lord is not limited.

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matt 6: 32)

2. When and if you need more, he will give it to you. Does he not know what you need even before you ask Him?

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. ( Isaiah 65:24)

3. Spend time with Him. Care for what He cares for. Follow his heart. Do some tasks that He needs done. Do that, and you will not have enough room to hold what he will give you ( if you still need the stuff, that is)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ( Matt 5:33 NIV)

Stop wasting time seeking what you already have.

You are blessed!