Blessing

My parents were divorced when I was a child and when my dad would come to visit us he would come bearing gifts. We were excited because we knew when dad came he was coming with a gift, we would go out on the town and have a great time with dad.

But after a while he would leave we knew he would leave again. Prior to him leaving, occasionally, some of us would start acting out as if we were watching the clock for him to leave. We would soon forget the same person that just gave us a gift; the same person we jumped up and down for is the one that blessed us. Some of us would be disrespectful when he would ask us to do something, being slow to move when he said move.

The rule was if one messed up, we were all in trouble. As a result the one that got out of line created us all to be punished, after all we were all blessed simultaneously and would be punished together also. As kids we were portraying that we were excited about the blessing but could care less about the one blessing because we wanted to know when he was leaving again, bringing another gift.

This scenario captures my mind to The Lord calling His children back to Him. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty” (Zechariah 1:3).

I see God saying “do as I say and I will continue to bless you but if you continue to act as if Satan is your father then let him give to you the disasters of your heart.” Anything the enemy gives is evil.

God does not wish upon His children to not prosper but to prosper. He says to us “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John1:2).

He is saying, “I want you to prosper in health, above all things but also spiritually”. Typically, a person takes in having all the things and being healthy but turn their head up to receiving growth spiritually from the Father. They demonstrate, I want you to give to me but I don’t want to give to you.

Do you know a person that is a taker and not a giver? Are you a taker and not a giver? Someone that runs the opposite way when you are calling on them, when they need a favor because their car broke down you are the only person they can count on. When they need some help around the house because it’s not enough of them to go around you seem to be the only person that will show up every time to help them. Yet when you need a ride in to work you can’t get them to answer the phone to take your phone call. They place orders for favors but never want to give out their helping hand.

The essence of the problem of taking and never giving is stealing. When you go to a store you get what you want, but it is upon paying for the item. If you go to the store get what you want and do not pay for it, it is stealing. When God blesses you with help and you never return helping the other you are stealing from God because He sent the help.

What is your stand today? Are you blessing or just looking for a blessing? Consider ways of being a blessing to someone and allow God to give on His own terms to you. Pray to God to forgive you for stealing. Call upon the Lord to help you discern when it is time for you to give. For God finds pleasure in blessing you as a giver not a thief.