Going off what was said last time, since I’ve already inherited the blessing, how do I get access to it? Now that I know it’s available, I definitely want to get in on it.
That’s great, but we’ve got to remember what happened with Jacob and how it is possible to be blessed and not yet experience the blessing because God is waiting until you’re able to handle the blessing He has given to you.
Did you know it is estimated that 70% of wealthy families will lose their wealth by the second generation and 90% will lose it by the third ? Why? Because the second and third generations were not able to handle the blessing they received. They had every right to it as part of their inheritance, but their life experiences, character and knowledge prevented them from making proper use of the blessing.
Jacob wasn’t the only person ill-equipped for the blessing they received.
Think back to the Israelites.
God blessed the Israelites by delivering them from oppression and illegitimate control of the Egyptians. Despite this, they took 40 years to arrive at their blessing in Canaan. Why? They had to go through a process of development in the wilderness. Development? The doubt that stopped them from entering the Promise Land when they first arrived needed to be removed. Their character wasn’t at a place where they could fully embrace and handle the blessing.
I get you. Is that why it always feels like I’m being tested before the reward? As if I have to earn it. Maybe I’m actually being prepared for it?
A little off topic, but I think Marvin Sapp describes it so well in his song ‘Close’.
“I must be close to my destiny
Extremely close to my victory
‘Cause here comes
Trials and troubles, jealousy and envy
I must be close to what You have for me
I must be close to my overflow
Extremely close to my miracle
Because here comes
Confusion, problems and enemies
I just believe
That I must be close to what You have for me”
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like that should be how it should feel when God puts us through that process of development. We should acknowledge the trails but recognise what is likely to follow.
I wont lie though. Trials hurt. They pull and tug at our emotions and feelings. Though, they bend and mould us into the people God would have us be. There’ll be times where we don’t even want to continue moving forward.
However, Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
It’d be great if we could just take the goodness of God and all His blessings. It’d also be great if we were all at that point where we could handle the power of God.
The question is, if you’re not at that point right now, how much are you willing to endure to get there? Better question may even be, how much can your faith endure until you reach that point? Not all trials are physical. Not all trials may be emotional.
You’ve been offered the job of your dreams, but they demand crazy hours. You know it’ll compromise how much time you have to dedicate to God, but this is your dream job! It pays extremely well.
You may look at this job and think, “Well now that I’ve got this job, what other blessing can I really need? This is the blessing of all blessings. So, this must be God’s will.”
Maybe all these things are merely distractions, a trial designed to test where your heart lies. Maybe, just maybe, saying no to this job because you want to prioritise your time with God, is the final qualifier before your true blessing.
So, is God testing us?
No. God wants to make sure we can handle the blessing He has in store for us before He delivers it to us.
My Sunday Skl 