Are You A Blessing To Others?

Today's Verse

Genesis 31:42 (NKJV)

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

Read: Genesis 31

Thoughts

It is often confusing what principles we cling to as we live in this world. Popular belief says: you are the priority, get as much as you can, stay at the top of the pack, be popular, and never mind the others. The Bible says otherwise, and it is hard to follow. It is just against the tide. In our passage, we saw that Jacob had learned to trust God after many failures. He had learned how to be a servant, to be humbled, and be taken advantage of - in a foreign country, contrary to what he used to be – a supplanter, and “All I can have” mama’s boy. After many years of hardship and trials, and no one to turn to, he turned and trusted the God of his fathers.

And now, Jacob is the source of blessings for his uncle Laban, for the Lord has blessed all his works. When we learn to give all our failures to the Lord and trust in Him, it is then that God will turn it around into blessings. There is nothing more rewarding than humbling ourselves to be used by God, and in turn be a blessing to others as Jacob did. And even when it seemed Jacob was ripping off Laban before their departure going back to his country, God’s blessing and allowing was there – for He is the avenger of the humble and the lowly.

Are you striving to compete and be at the top, not minding who’s gonna hurt, and who’s gonna be trampled down? The Lord is teaching the other way around. In God’s economy, the way up is down, and the way down is up. When we humble down ourselves and trust God for our future, then He will lift us up. But if we seek to be the top dog, be self-sufficient, and have the “I can do it” mentality, then it becomes the work of the flesh, instead of the Spirit of God. Jacob could have turned the situation upside down, make himself rich and make Laban poor, and let Laban serve him, but he did not for he learned the joy and blessings of humility and godliness.

Learn to be blessed and be a blessing from the person who learned it the hard way, Jacob - the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Prayer

Lord God Heavenly Father, many times we are tempted to do things our way, to strive to the top no matter what. We forgot to rely on You, and so we missed Your blessings. Help us Lord to be humble and lowly, knowing that You care more than enough for us. In Jesus Name, Amen.