Have you ever wondered how God looks at us? Do you think he looks at us with approval or disapproval?
We find the answer in the Old Testament book of Numbers. As the children of Israel made their way to the land of Canaan, God instructed Moses to tell the priests to pronounce this blessing over the people: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace" (6:24–26 NKJV).
From this blessing we see truths about God that we need to know. For example, God loves to bless us, and he isn't stingy with his blessings. Jesus said, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32 NKJV).
Today we throw around the word "blessing" a lot. We might say, "You're such a blessing" or "Wasn't that a blessing?" or "God bless you." But the word "blessing" is a spiritual word. And it's actually something only the child of God can experience.
It's worth noting that Jesus began and ended his ministry on earth by blessing people. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also gave us the Beatitudes, which begin, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3 NKJV). Another way to translate the word "blessed" that Jesus used is "happy."
God wants us to be blessed and happy. In the first chapter of Genesis we read, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them" (verses 27–28 NKJV, emphasis added).
This blessing God gives us, however, is independent of our circumstances. Whether great things are happening in our lives or whether we're going through a struggle, we still can be happy if we have Christ in our hearts.
On the other hand, some people have brought, in effect, a curse upon their lives, and I don't mean that in any mystical way. Sometimes people talk about a generational curse on a family that must be broken through prayer. But I don't think the Bible teaches that. Sometimes, though, a cycle of sin will continue from generation to generation.
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If any family had its share of problems, it was my family. My mother was an alcoholic, and she was divorced seven times. I started on the wrong road in the early years of my life, but I came to Christ at age 17, and he broke the cycle of sin in my life. I'm also happy to report that I have been married for more than 40 years, and the Lord has been good and faithful to me.
So, if there is a curse on someone's life, it's because he or she has disobeyed God. God cursed Cain because of his constant disobedience. And according to Deuteronomy 27, there is a curse on those who worship false gods as well as a curse on those who live immorally.
If you're living a sinful life, then you will experience the repercussions of that – the curse, if you will. However, you choose whether your life will be blessed or cursed. God said to the children of Israel, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV).
The passage goes on to say, "That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days" (verse 20 NKJV). If you want to live a blessed and happy life, then you need to love God, obey his voice and cling to him. Live it. Put it into practice. And watch what the Lord will do.
Not only does the Lord want to bless us, but he wants to keep us. Again, the priestly blessing that God gave to Moses begins with these words: "The Lord bless you and keep you." In the original language, the word used for "keep" means "to watch," "to guard," or "to put a hedge around." God wants us to be constantly reassured that he will keep us.
If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, then you have a hedge of protection around you. In fact, the Bible reminds us many times of the keeping and protective power of God. For example, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one" (NKJV). And 1 Peter 1:5 tells us that we "are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation" (NKJV).
Not only does God keep us, but he continually keeps us. Hebrews 7:25 says, "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (NKJV).
But what about when an accident or a tragedy happens in the life of a child of God? Where is the keeping power of God then? In asking a question like this, we're assuming that somehow, we have the inherent right to live long, easy lives and then die peacefully in our sleep one day.
The Bible says that our times are in God's hands (see Psalm 31:15). That means God will walk with us through life, no matter what we're facing.
This promise, however, is only for the believer, for the child of God. The blessings of the Bible are only for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. We can have these blessings because Christ took the curse. The Bible says, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')" (Galatians 3:13 NKJV).
Jesus was cursed so that we could be blessed. Jesus died so that we could live. He was forsaken so that we could be forgiven.
So, the choice is yours. Do you want to face the curse of your sin, the repercussions of your evil actions? Or, do you want the blessing of God in your life? The choice is yours.
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