"BLESSING
I don't think I've ever heard so many people talk about blessing. Bless you. Bless me. Bless them. I love the elements of blessing in the Bible: (1) God is glorified. Because all blessing comes from Him. (2) You are edified. Because blessings are from Him for your good. (3) Others are satisfied. Because blessings come from God to you for your good, so that they can be given to others. President Reagan said, 'There is no stopping what a man can do, if he doesn't care who gets credit.'
I've heard the expression, 'Bless you,' used in a variety of ways; I could never keep track of them all. I've sneezed, and immediately following the explosion, I've heard the words 'Bless you,' coming from an innocently-exposed party. I've sneezed again and, innocently, I've heard the corresponding words 'Bless you.' I was never really impressed; frankly, I didn't need a blessing, I needed a Kleenex. Since then, I've come to understand the intention behind the expression. People use it to wish health to one another.
In Psalm 67:1 & 2, God's desired stream of blessing flowing in our lives is rooted in His purpose of blessing flowing through our lives, and it testifies to our world His aliveness and to His deep compassion for them. Praxctically applied, this will always affect our motive in seeking God's blessing. The Apostle James warns us against motive when he writes, 'You ask, and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you spend it on your pleasures,' James 4:3. How easy it is for us to build a life of selfishness when we, like small children unwilling to share our goods, take our coveted candy bar and run to an obscure corner or room to eat treasure alone. But remember, God's heart is ever toward the nations, the people of the planet, the ends of the earth.
Always remember the formula for blessing:
1. The more faithful you are, the more God can bless you.
2. The more He blesses you, the more enlargement there is.
3. The more enlargement there is in your life, the more work there is to do. God didn't say, 'If you're faithful over a little, I'll give you a vacation;' but, 'I'll make you ruler over much.'
What a difference it makes in our praying when every petition for blessing is born out of a sincere desire to see the Lord make Himself known to others in meeting our need. Let the Lord evaluate your desires and then bring them to the Lord to be conformed to His desires and then bring them before the Lord to be conformed to His desires. Ask Him for a heart for people. You'll be blessed.
Bless You,
Ron Mehl"