Christians, but the blessings will also flow through us to other people as well.
In Ezekiel, God says, “I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.” God will make his people a blessing so that they can bless other people around them. In this way a Christian will become a living example of God’s blessing and will become more Christ-like in the process. In other words, each Christian will also become a shepherd.
You bless other people’s lives by sharing the same blessing which you have received from God. If he blesses you with love, then you need to bless others by loving them. If he has blessed you by giving to you, then you need to share with others through giving. If God shares the good news of his salvation through Jesus Christ, then you need to share this message of salvation with others. In other words, share in the same way that you have been blessed.
It is the opposite of what we have learned from the world. Instead of taking an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, we need to choose to love, and to give, and to become a blessing. You share your blessing with others, not because they deserve it, but because you are taking on the character of God by loving them and by blessing them through sharing. A Christian hymn which describes this idea of continued blessing is “Make Me a Blessing.” This hymn was written by Ira Wilson and George Schuler. The following words are from this hymn:
Out of the highways and by-ways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.
Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
Out of my life, may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Christians need to allow God to make them blessings in the lives of other people, and we need to be determined to be a blessing today, and every day. Keep in mind that the priests in Ezekiel were not blessing the people. They were trying to bless themselves. Many people are familiar with an older theatrical play and movie called “Fiddler on the Roof.” The movie takes place in a quaint Jewish village which is located in rural Russia during the late 1800s. One of the characters in the story is the village’s beloved Rabbi. He is the little community’s spiritual leader and advisor. In a sense, he is their shepherd. On one occasion this Rabbi was asked by his students, “Is there a blessing for the czar?” The czar, Russia’s reigning monarch, could be oppressive in the way that he chose to govern his countrymen. The Rabbi answered his students in the following way, “A blessing for the czar? Of course there is a blessing for the czar.” Next the Rabbi pronounced this blessing, “Lord, keep the czar . . .” The Rabbi paused and then continued, “. . . as far away from us as possible.” The students laughed. But is that a blessing, or a prayer request for them to be blessed rather than for the sake of the czar?
The nature of a blessing is to help people, and not to hurt them or to harm them or to drive them away.
The Hope of the Blessing
An old saying is, “Hope springs eternal.” This is one of the great blessings we have from God—Hope! Our hope is that God “will” bless us. A biblical understanding of hope is the belief of a future certainty, that something good will absolutely happen. For the person who believes in God’s love, hope is not a possibility or a probability. Hope is a reality! Hope may not have yet been realized or received, but it definitely will happen. Because of this assurance, we can always have hope in life. Even if we lose loved ones to some horrifying disaster as Job did; even if our lives seem to be crumbling all around us; even if our spouse walks out on us or our sons turn to drugs, or our daughters turn to prostitution, by faith in God’s blessing, we can still have hope in God.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
