Overflowing Blessing

 

“Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.”

—Proverbs 11:11

Does God’s blessing overflow to others like a cup overflows into the saucer? Apparently it does.

Joseph, son of Jacob, who served in Potiphar’s household, was blessed by God with favor and success in everything he did, but God also blessed Potiphar, as recorded in Genesis 39:5:

The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.

In the life of Daniel, the commander of the king’s guard intended to execute the wise men of Babylon because they could not interpret the king’s dreams. Because God’s blessing rested on Daniel, and because God gave him the answer to the king’s questions, Daniel pled with the commander not to execute the wise men. Instead, as recorded in Daniel 2:24, the king put Daniel in charge of all the wise men of Babylon.

The Apostle Paul, on a ship bound for Rome, found himself in a deadly shipwreck. The crew had given up all hope of being saved. In Acts 27:24, Paul announced to them what God had told him:

“Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.”

Think about times when God has graciously spared you from an automobile accident. Did He not also spare others whom you didn’t even know? Have you been the recipient of blessing because God had His good hand on a Christian employer of yours, or a public school teacher, or someone else whom God placed in a position of authority over you?

Eugene Peterson, in his book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, makes this statement:

Blessing has inherent in it the power to increase. It functions by sharing and delight in life. ¹

When Christians live under God’s blessing, those around them enjoy the positive effects of that blessing.

Ask God today for His blessing, and watch to see how He blesses others around you, too!

______________________

1 Peterson, Eugene. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000.