Object of Blessing

"'But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people

as I did in the past,' declares the LORD Almighty.

'The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,

the ground will produce its crops,

and the heavens will drop their dew.

I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.  As you have been an object of cursing among the nations,

O Judah and Israel,

so I will save you, and you will be a blessing.

Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.'"

Zechariah 8:11-13

Jesus changed everything:  

I deserve death because of my sin, but He offers life.

My sin separates me from a holy God but He offers reconciliation with Him.

My sin makes me God's enemy, but following Jesus makes me His friend.

I am an orphan, estranged from the family of God because of my sin, but He freely accepts me as His child.

As a sinful human, willfully disobedient to His law and unintentionally wayward in my habits and traditions, I am under a curse from God.  Thankfully, He does not deal with me as my behavior deserves.  Instead, I am an object of His blessing through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, taking my own sin upon Himself that I might live. . . and live life to the full.

Fruit

My cucumbers are not doing so well this year.  In the past, they would produce abundantly on luscious vines that would grow to over 10 feet long, but this year we've had no fruit to enjoy.  It seems there's something in the soil; a pest or a mold or fungus which is attacking the plant, rendering it fruitless. 

It's the same with me.  I have dedicated my life to following Jesus.  Since I belong to Him, His Spirit lives within me to help and guide me, to give me power and to produce fruit.  Many times, however, there are pests or disease that hamper the production of His fruit.  

It could be my own pride, demanding that I get my way instead of yielding to His.  Maybe there's a stronghold of sin that is overshadowing anything good that God's Spirit is producing.  Or it just might be that I am holding on to anger, refusing to forgive another who has wronged me.

Whatever the problem may be, His fruit will become evident once I bring that area under God's dominion, allowing Him to humble me, break the shackles of sin and flood me with peace and freedom from bitterness.  Only through the power that is found in Jesus am I able to submit my will to God's, turn away from sin and let go of resentment.

If I want to experience the blessing of God's fruit in my life, I will need to draw on the power found in the cross that will enable me to submit my life to Him.

Abundance

Driving to the beach this past weekend, my husband and I saw acres upon acres of corn that was ready to harvest but had been scorched by the heat wave.  The 100-110 degree temperatures served to shrivel those stalks to nothing more than brown, withered plants that would work well for Autumn Harvest decorations but not for corn production.  It seems the farmers took a hard hit.

No one is at the mercy of God more than a farmer.  He does the work to prepare the soil and plant the seeds, but it is up to God to provide the right amounts of rain and sun.  If a sudden hailstorm hits, the whole crop could be ruined.  If drought hits the region, the plants will cease growing and could die.  If temperatures drop below freezing at the wrong time, fruit yield may be diminished.

As a part of God's creation, I am also at His mercy. It is not my efforts, obedience or godly attitude that results in blessing as,  "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45)  Rather, it is His loving-kindness showering down on me through the grace that is found when I trust in Jesus as my Savior that is the true blessing. 

I can trust God to meet my needs because He loves me.  Through no attempt at godliness, struggle to stay away from sin or desire to walk with Him will He shower me with blessings.  God is not to be manipulated.  It is not a case of give and take where I give Him something then I can take from Him. 

Instead, I can trust that, "my God will meet all (my) needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:19)

I can't earn God's blessing anymore than I can jump over the Eiffel Tower.  The abundance of needs He supplies is as a result of His love for me.

If I want to experience the blessing of the abundance of His grace and provision in my life, I need only to trust In His loving kindness.

Manna

When the Israelites were wandering around in the desert for 40 years, their needs were completely met by God.  He rained down manna each morning, provided quail for meat as well as water for drinking.  Another benefit of belonging to the family of God was that their clothing did not wear out.  God sent them many good things.

The Israelites did nothing to earn this provision.  It could rather be argued that they deserved death for their outright disobedience and defiance to God's laws.  In fact, God did punish them for their unfaithfulness by keeping them in the desert for so long and denying an entire generation, save for Caleb and Joshua, the blessing of the promised land.  God, however, did not give them what their sins deserved: death.

Instead, the LORD offered life that came in the form of bread from heaven.  In the same way, Jesus said He is, "the living bread that came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever."  (John 6:51)  

Just as the Israelites did nothing to deserve the manna, I can do nothing to earn eternal life and an intimate, one-on-one relationship with a loving, all-powerful God.   Instead, it was generously given as a gift from heaven, free for the taking for all who recognize it's power.  When I enter into this relationship with my Father, I will experience all the kindness of God.  I will learn that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. . . " (James 1:17)

If I want to experience the goodness of God in my life like drops of dew on a parched field, I need only accept His free gift of mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

Without Jesus, I have only death and eternal separation from God to which I can look forward, but through faith in Christ I can have His fruit in my life, an abundance of His provision and goodness to fall upon me like so much manna in the desert.  As a child of God through faith in Jesus, I truly am an object of His blessing!




As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can live out the abundant life Jesus supplies.


What is holding back the harvest of God's Fruit in my life?


When do I worry about my needs being met when I follow the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills?