Unraveling
THE MYSTERIES OF BLESSING
Bishop Dr. Taiwo Akinola
INTRODUCTION
As a result of my various personal observations in human societies vis-à-vis the differing levels of blessing among men, I developed a burden to unravel the mysteries and the seeming riddles behind the status of blessings. God graciously granted light and inspiration, which I believe will go a long way to help genuine seekers to download the blessings of God in any area of life. This divine illumination is what I have painstakingly documented in this book.
My humble counsel to you right now is: read this book to be informed, study it to be knowledgeable, meditate upon the facts therein and practice them to be blessed.
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CHAPTER 1
THE MYSTERY OF BLESSING
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said Jacob.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
Genesis 32:26-29.
We must accept that the Bible is a highly coded book. It is wrapped in great mysteries and only those who give attention to search out matters therein receive the glory and the honor it bestows (1Tim.3:16; Pro.25:2). Undoubtedly, blessing is one of the deepest mysteries of godliness; we must practically understand its principles and demands in order to enjoy it in full.
There was so much that Jacob knew about blessing that this generation ought to go for. He insisted on being blessed and refused to let God go until he got what he wanted. Though, this was at a great cost of personal pain but his story changed forever after that experience. May you also begin to make it by favor and no more by labor in the Name of Jesus Christ. May the God of blessings terminate all struggles of your life. Amen.
Blessing is an act of declaring God’s favor and goodness upon a person or a group of individuals. Blessings can also rest upon an environment, place, organization or things. Blessing, in its actual sense, is not mere words but an invocation that comes with the power to accomplish it. It also entails the mystery of invoking, causing or empowering prosperity and wellness.
The initiatives in empowering or imparting blessings always reside with God. And for this reason, the whole creation depends upon God’s blessing for its continual existence and function. The blessings of a man for other men will remain mere wishes until the power of God backs them up. Meanwhile, when God blesses, He releases with it a mysterious power that makes the blessing effective. And when this power rests on you, you no more celebrate by methods but by the mercy of God.
Please note, at this stage, that every true Christian dwells under a strong positional blessing, which is capable of attracting tremendous benefits. Staggering provisions and incredible blessings are hanging upon all the offspring of Jesus Christ (Is. 44:3; Gal. 3:9; Eph. 1:3). However, they must be drawn upon our individual lives to make us partakers of this blessing. Meanwhile, the subject of His blessings should interest us greatly and rank among our top priority list of our divine quests.
NATURE OF DIVINE BLESSING
As earlier on established, God is involved in every effectual bestowal of gifts and blessings upon sons of men, both temporal and spiritual. When blessings proceed from Him, it is full, rich, unstoppable and void of sorrow. It always turns to a misadventure for anyone to seek to curse the man whom God has blessed. God always changes the curses to blessings in such circumstances (Deut.23:5). This was the lesson that Balaam learnt the hard way (Num. 24:1).
Essentially, divine blessing is a Word-based benefit. By its very nature, blessing is usually invoked by words spoken under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through human channels. And once spoken into being, the benefits of blessing cannot be retrieved even by the man who invoked it (Gen.27:33). The final control of blessings resides with God.
A very pertinent question here is, who can serve as a channel to convey blessing? The general rule from the scripture is: “the less is blessed of the better” (Heb7:17). The whole idea here defines the fact that only father-figures have the positions and the authority to bless. Leaders often blessed their followers, especially when they were getting ready to leave the world. Again in the Bible, important persons or father-figures, blessed those with less positional power or influence.
A father-figure is someone for whose sake God will act to empower or bless other people. For example, Isaac was blessed for the sake of Abraham (Gen.26:24). Also, the Egyptian master in Joseph’s story received the blessing of the Lord upon his entire household for the sake of Joseph (Gen.39:5).
Father-figures include your biological or spiritual parents and, indeed, everyone who has rule over you to guide, instruct, direct, train or teach you in physical or spiritual matters that relate to your progress, growth and development. From scriptures also, we learn that priests are divinely authorized to bless (Deut.10:8). Many examples of blessing by fathers and father-figures abound in the Word of God:
- Isaac blessed Jacob before he died (Gen.27:4, 27-29).
- Jacob blessed his children before he died (Gen.49:1-28).
- Moses, the Man of God, blessed the children of Israel (Deut.33:1-33).
- David also blessed his own entire household (1Chr.16:43).
- Joshua blessed the tribes of Israel (Jos.22:6-7).
- Jesus Christ our Lord blessed His disciples (Lk.24:49-50).
Now, blessing is a product of soul’s activity. For example, it was with his soul that Isaac blessed his son Jacob in Genesis 27. Paul also taught that the words of a blessing produce no positive effect unless the spirit-man is engaged (1Cor.14:16). Therefore, when a great or anointed soul is made happy, it becomes provoked to release the blessing. In addition, Job also confirmed that blessings come our way each time we lend a hand and reach out to the helpless (Job 29:12-13).
The bottom line is: blessing is a produce of the mercy of God (Rom.9:16). Better believe it, when God blesses a man by mercy, that man is blessed irrespective of who dislikes him or what demerits him. The mercy of God terminates misery and woes.
God does not struggle to bless; the power is always there to accomplish His purposes in the lives of men. He said to Solomon in a dream, ‘I have also given thee’ (1Kg.3:13). And that was it. The man lived and died without any equal among the mortals of his time. Friends, receive it today, you are blessed in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
IMPARTATION FOR BLESSINGS
We said earlier that it takes a mysterious power to make effectual the invocation of blessings. And it is the application of that power upon lives of mortal men that we refer to as impartation. Impartation is ‘God upon the flesh, doing things flesh cannot accomplish’. Until this power is manifested, our blessedness is in doubt.
When a man is imparted, God’s power indwells him to make him a man of strong unction. It is a mystery, but when this unction is poured or smeared upon a man, things begin to function better and everybody sees the effects. (Acts 1:8; Jn.14:12).
Jesus Christ was empowered for ministry at Jordan and from that point on Christians of all generations become supernatural beings through the impartation of that divine order (Heb.6:4). This same supernatural nature makes us partakers of the Holy Spirit whereby we receive access to all the blessings of God.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:2-4
Impartation is for impact. When impartation comes upon a man, like oil of God, it brings a lasting source of energy, prevents tension, increases our purchasing power and as a heavenly fragrance it brings remedy against commonness of life. In addition, impartation seats you on your throne as a king and establishes God’s plans for your life. May your life open up today for a fullness of His impartation in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
CHAPTER 2
LAWS OF BLESSING
In life, everything follows rigid laws. If you discover a guiding law in a particular matter and you are principled enough to obey it, every other thing in their course begins to obey you on that matter. This is why those who discover the law of blessing and work it out always enjoy unlimited flow of blessing.
To some degree, man is a blessed entity. But we all know that many individuals live like cursed citizens of the earth. Why is this so? Whereas, God blessed man at the onset of creation, man must still receive insight into God’s plan and work it out before he can receive guaranteed access to fresh glory (Job 29:3-4). For example, the Bible commands that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but if we do not know how it works, it will never works for us.
One of God’s laws that regulate blessing is stated in Genesis 8:22,
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Everything you are seeking or struggling for is available in a seed. You can actually plough back to honor, abundance, settlement, peace and a glorious living if you plant a seed on God’s soil by faith and you expect a harvest. Your seed can move mountains if you plant it in faith (Matt.17:20). Your ‘seed’ can even possess the ‘gates’ of your enemies if you can muster enough faith and you define an assignment for the seed.
The best way to weary the spirit behind any vice is to do the opposite of what that spirit demands or stands for. We have to embrace the doctrine of generosity in order for us to break the hold of poverty spirit in any area of our experience. The spirit of poverty sets the stage not only for a state of lack but also for the fear of not getting, which causes the poor to hold tightly to the little he has. Anytime a man keeps to himself something that God meant to be given away, it brings hurt back to the man. That is the reason, for example, why God stated that those who sit on their tithes and refuse to take them to God’s house dwell under the burden of divine curses (Mal.3:8-12). Until great excitement is generated around the spirit of generosity, you do not come close to breakthrough.
I have seen people who sang well and still remained poor. I have seen people who preached fantastic messages and still remained poor. In fact, I have seen many people, who lived long, worked hard, showed commitment to regular church attendance and yet died very poor. But I have never come across a regular, cheerful, faithful and sacrificial giver who died without having a measurable benefit of divine provisions to show for his obedience to the word of God.
Israel was a church in the wilderness. They had no craft or regular vocation, yet they had what to give in excess. This was the law of blessing working in their favor. The account is staggering of people who located their acres of diamond through this biblical law of blessing, sowing and reaping:
- Abel gave the Lord a worthy sacrifice, and he received divine acceptance.
- Abraham gave up certainty for what the world would refer to as an uncertain promise. He gave up Isaac, his smile, and he eventually became the father of faith and founder of the Hebrew nation.
- Isaac sowed in a foreign land at a time of famine and he grew until he became very great.
- David made an unusual provision for the house of the Lord and the Lord built for him a dynasty.
- And Solomon, you remember, became an icon of divine blessings, wealth and wisdom because of his personal sacrifices. Please find an account detailing this in 2 Chronicles 7:1-14.
Again, the following selected verses from the passage above show us how divine appearance can be initiated or provoked by sacrificial offerings.
Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Now, you have read practical proofs of what sensible obedience to the Bible law of blessing can produce; forthwith, as you determine to do likewise, other people will start reading about you also in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
God revealed that His house is not purposed to be a public complaint bureau, but a house of sacrifice (2Chr.7:12). It is not a place to be only when we have needs that we cannot fix by ourselves. Not a place to come and complain how terribly circumstances of life are dealing with us and the pitiable situations we are going through now or to murmur that God has not yet considered us for help, even with our half-hearted prayers and fasting. God’s house is a place to erect our alters of sacrifice, where we give up our ego, forgo our sinful pleasure, and serve God with our time and money to expand the reach and the influence of the kingdom. See, everyone in all generations who caught that revelation and acted on it positively saw great exploits. If you too subscribe to it and begin to obey the law of blessing, then a new chapter of joy and accomplishment will open to you in Jesus Name. Amen.
Why must we live in obedience to the law of blessing?
(a). In life, all things are connected. If someone shows up as a source of blessing in your life, please note that someone else supported him also to that extent. The rain that falls upon the earth is the water that was evaporated from the earth, which now shows up in another form. The gains you make are the losses someone else incurred. The man you support today may hold the cord for your preservation tomorrow. That is the nature of life’s symbiosis. From the law of conservation of matter, we learn that what you receive is what you give away, which comes back to you in another form. What you gained is what someone else lost. See, whatever goes round must come round (Lk.6:38).
(b). All things that God created and still controls give. Trees, sun, moon and even the fossils also do give continually. If you refuse to give, you instantly cut off yourself from God’s control and hence from His blessing. Whosoever embraces the nature of a miser will harvest the stingy misery of lack.
(c). You may make a living by what you get, but you can only make a life by what you give. You expand by what you give and until you release your ability to give, you never find increase in the domain of your life.
(d). No man can truly stand out without sacrifice. You may stand by the sweat of your labor, but you never can stand out in prominence without sacrifice. And if you are wise enough to channel your sacrifice to God and His kingdom, you start to increase by the power of the Invisible Hand.
(e). The law of giving is divine and it takes a man who nurses an unholy ambition of independence from God to disobey it. Sure, anyone that does disobey God should be ready to eat his yam un-pounded.
Lending a hand to the poor and needy is a strong command to which every believer must submit (Deut.15:7-11). Poverty is more than financial insufficiency. Poverty is the mother of hardship and misery. It robs people of their dreams and aspirations. It steals joy and accomplishment in life. Poverty is a wicked armed robber. It generates for man serious tension, frustration and many other psychosomatic problems.
Poverty distils a failure mindset in the poor. Be willing to distribute to the necessities of the needy world. When you lend a hand to the poor, you may be digging the grave to lift up a star that had been buried prematurely and in the hole that is left is where you will bury your hardship and insufficiency.
CHANGING TIDES AND EVENTS THROUGH OFFERING
Excellence of life is built around trade secrets. The more you trade in noble secrets the more excellent you become. Now, we have said that everything on earth surrounds and confirms the Bible laws of sowing and reaping. There is a profound mystery in offering, much more stronger than our world is ready to admit. It is when that mystery is uncovered to a particular individual that his destiny starts to receive power of fulfillment (Deut.29:29). Please do a detailed study of Malachi 3:4-12 and you will discover this truth with vividness.
The word offering receives so much mention in the Bible, about 500 times. It passes without controversy that worship and service are incomplete without offering since God Himself instructed that none should appear before Him empty handed. God also expressly commanded His people to present their offerings to Him willingly. Now, since God’s statutes are always made in man’s interests, we can submit that there must be some secret dealings between God and human destinies through offering. In view of the myriads of wonders that are traceable to offerings, we also can safely assume that certain hidden divine power is assigned to offerings and sacrifices. In fact, this hidden power of offering has actually become a perplexing riddle that must be explained:
1. OFFERING IS A DOORWAY TO GLORY.
And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you.
And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.
Leviticus 9:6-7
In the passage above, God reveals that offering is the operative formulae for exaltation and glorification. No offering, no glory. Please remember that God waited until the time of offering before He released fire in Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal (1Kg.18:36-38). The fire of God’s glory does not fall upon an empty altar, a wholesome offering must be there before we can expect the glory.
2. OFFERINGS PACIFY THE LORD.
Any man can literally organize himself out of roadblocks and hardships in life by giving a grace-provoking offering unto the Lord (1 Sam.26:19). There is an aroma in a cheerful offering, which naturally attracts divine attention. Noah placed an offering before the altar and God was so pleased to the extent that He gave an order which restraints evil from humanity forever (Gen.8:20-21). Abel also endeared divine respect through his acceptable offering (Gen.4:3-5). Remember Abraham (Gen.22:2) and Manoah (Judg.13:23). Without any equivocation, God’s power and presence become more accessible when we have worthy offerings at hand (Ps.96:8).
3. OFFERINGS GENERATE UNDENIABLE VICTORY.
Victories in life are produce of the systematic divine interventions in the course of our daily activities, which we receive in the realm of the spirit. No victory can be scored here on earth except it has been won first in the spirit realm. However, significant intervention will require significant sacrifice. Nothing of value comes without a cost, for values are functions of costs.
At a time, in one of the notorious battles of Israel against the Phillistines, Samuel needed a crucial victory, but it was not until he gave an unusual offering unto the Lord that he received help from the Lord (1Sam.7:7-10).
At another instance, Israel became dispirited in her battle against the Edomites for lack of water, but the story changed at offering time (2Kg.3:17-20). It appears to me that God reckons with your anxious request for His intervention only to the degree of your desperate sacrifices on the altar. The King of Moab knew this so well when he offered his maximum sacrifice at the hour of his most desperate need and God responded by doing the inexplicable to give him relief (2Kg.3:26-27). When you recognize that God, here in this story, decided the course of the battle against His own covenant people by reason of the desperate offering of the King of Moab, you will get a clearer picture of the hidden power of sacrifice.
The incredible power of offering and sacrifice was a major trade secret of Abraham, Isaac and David. Even Israel, a church in the wilderness, was able to give continually everyday when they were building the tabernacle, for the reason that they were experiencing breakthrough on a daily basis because of their offerings. Offering was also the foundation of Solomon’s dizzying wealth.
It is so amazing to discover that there was no other run-up story to the wealth and wisdom of Solomon other than the one we find in 1 Kings 3:1-5. Here we are informed that Solomon loved the Lord and he offered unto Him upon the altar in the great high place. And God, in turn, imparted his life-space with divine blessings. Anyone from any background can access staggering grace and greatness if only he can cultivate a godly attitude of cheerful, sacrificial offering.
Now, this is the solution to the puzzle of the hidden power of offering: the personal surrender and sacrifice of the will involved in the act of offering lend to it all its value and potency.
The cheering news here is that a good and generous giving attitude can be cultivated by anyone with a simple heart of obedience. When you give generously, cheerfully, sacrificially and habitually, it is assumed that you have laid “your all” upon the altar and you thus qualify to attract anything from Him who owns heaven and earth. No wonder that tides easily change their rage and events their course when we offer in right places.
SOWING AND SOARING
It is nature-dictated: sowing compels soaring. Any time you declare a clear objective within your heart to soar to higher levels of destiny, please reach forward and sow a seed into a bible ground. Understand that no amount of agonizing wishes can turn a seed into a miracle harvest until it is sown. Your seed is the practical demand for your anticipated harvest.
“The furnace is the place where gold acquires its shinning brightness”. In the same way, your success and breakthrough in life are in your sacrifice. Your truest seed of blessings is in your ability to bless other lives, lifting them up and meeting their needs. When you dig to bring someone out of a hole of helplessness, there in that same hole is where you bury your own lack.
True, some people are always looking for other people to use. You should never allow such tendencies to distract you, rather, thank God for making you useful in the first place. Even when it appears you don’t have a lot of skill to minister solution to someone else’s need, do what you can and you will naturally gain the merits you could not earn. This is a practical implication of the law of conservation of matter. You receive what you give away, though, sometimes in another form. The Master Jesus said, “give and it shall be given to you” (Lk.6:38).
There is a positive thing you can do all the time in order to project the glory of God or to enhance the wellbeing of your fellow men. When you locate whatsoever and you cause progress in the work of God or you put a smile on someone’s face, then your harvest comes speedily.
Bill Gate was said to be a university dropout, but when he started solving people’s software needs and offered them free downloads, his story changed. By now, he is one of the richest men on the face of the earth.
The teachers of Thomas Edison in his younger years were compelled to declare him “too stupid to learn”. But when he patiently conducted several experiments and eventually offered the world an Edison Lamp, the world was compelled to reverse the unfounded declaration. He is now remembered much long after he had gone.
Some people will come to your life, dead and stinking, like Lazarus. Open your doors to them, give them necessary attention and for heaven’s sake raise them up. When you do you are commending your calling before God. Look for Lazarus today and let their coming forth begin. The following Bible passages will, no doubt, bring you closer to divine relevance:
Isaiah 32:20,
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
Psalm 126:5,
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6,
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
Psalm 112:9
He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
Psalm 37:26,
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
2Corinthians 9:7-10,
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
Be willing to distribute (Rom.12:13; 1 Tim.6:18). You never deserved what you cannot distribute. You are never qualified to get what you cannot give for the benefits of fellow men. It is mean and dangerous to hoard the blessings of God. Give love to others: the more you give away the much more you have in your stock. Invest in the joy of others and you will receive from God what you cannot give to yourself. If it brings you tears, it will soon tear away your sorrow.
Many benefits attach themselves to divine investment:
- Divine defense like Abraham enjoyed when he rescued Lot (Gen.14:14).
- Strength and divine enthronement like David after conquest of Goliath (1Sam.22:1).
- Divine enablement as was with the Shunammite woman (2Kings 4:8-17).
- Divine connection (1Sam.30:11-12).
- Resurrection power (Acts 9:36).
Today, many men are full of words but empty of works. Tabitha was constantly doing good to people and people were there to pray for her where her own prayers became helpless. If you do not have plenty to give, you can still work with your hands, mouth and feet for Jesus.
Dorcas was full of good works and the Lord overruled every other events to bring her back to life when she passed on prematurely. May the Lord’s will take pre-eminence over every event of your life in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
INVESTING PROFITABLY IN GOD’S KINGDOM
God is not just a User; He is a fantastic Rewarder. However, every candidate for divine blessings must realize that acceptable service is the only gateway to breakthrough. When you are committed to divine stewardship, God naturally enlists you among candidates for breakthrough in life. “If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures”(Job 36:11).
The most reasonable investment under heaven is committed stewardship. God is eternally committed to rewarding those who diligently serve Him (Heb.11:6-10).
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Many people serve God today without being conversant with God’s reward system. They therefore serve and have nothing to show for it. Only acceptable services qualify you for God’s reward. God’s “well-done” simply means “move to the next level” (Lk.13:42-44).
God checks us out regularly to determine how prepared we are for blessing and lifting to the next level. He plans that none of His children will ever have a better last year. The Father God does not wish for anyone to seek or serve Him in vain. But the responsibility to open the doors of his blessings with right keys rests on us. May the Lord empower you to act right today in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
The following are bible keys that can open up any man for reward in his labor and investments in the kingdom:
1. Labor and Invest Faithfully.
It is not enough to be involved but to be faithfully involved. Faithfulness is the quality of being loyal over a long period of time (Matt.25:1-21). It means being trustworthy, accurate and true to facts. Faithfulness is a major requirement in stewardship (1Cor.4:1-2).
Many Christians are going through systematic famine and hardship today, not because they are not in the covenant per se, but because they are not faithful especially in voluntary services and money matters. Faithfulness is a major component of loyalty and it was what qualified Abraham for greatness.
2. Invest Diligently.
It takes diligence to keep rank among the nobles of your time (Pr.22:29). Hard work does not kill a man, but laziness does. Be a hard-working man, even in manual arts.
3. Invest Gratefully and Cheerfully.
Ingratitude is the reason behind the sorrow of many people. Whatever is not done joyfully never ends fruitfully (Joel 1:11-12). Many have lost the harvests and the blessings of their lives for lack of joy. And, when you lose your joy, you lose your future. The happier you are, the higher you fly.
Joy has its root in gratitude and deliberate cheerfulness. A man glorifies God the most when he is most satisfied in Him and excited by His thoughts. Whatever I am yet to have should not create trouble for me; it may simply mean it is not next in God’s program for me.
4. Invest Wisely.
The whole essence of wisdom is to offer direction. When you are divinely directed, a sense of purpose comes upon you, which induces inner strength and makes you unstoppable in the journeys of life. Wisdom also provokes strength in the direction of fruitfulness and blessing.
5. Invest Willingly and Lovingly.
Whatever is done grudgingly attracts no return because it is totally unacceptable to God (2Cor.8:12). Israel was in the wilderness without a trade while building a tabernacle (Ex.35:4-36:6). They were bringing provisions daily because they were being rewarded daily; and they were being rewarded daily because they were giving lovingly and willingly.
No level of investment in the kingdom of God attracts a reward without genuine willingness and love for God in the heart of the investor. It was willing and unfeigned love that motivated Solomon to offer to God thousands of burnt offerings (1Kg:3:3). When we are result-motivated instead of being love-motivated, God will find no compelling reason to open the heaven of blessings upon our lives (1Cor.9:17). God is extremely faithful, but His Word shows that He is also love-driven; He cannot break His Word (1Cor.2:9).
Every demand of God upon your life is a design for lifting. When challenges come your way, show you’re eminently qualified for divine help by maintaining your love for God. Job was lost in his love for God to the extent that he did not allow himself to be distracted by his wife and friends. No wonder, his latter days were better than his beginning.
6. Invest Humbly.
Moses was one of the greatest men that ever lived on the earth. Please notice, however, that his lifting was not as a result of his merits of intelligence or physical strength, but a result of his meekness. For the reason of his meekness the Lord sided him to defend him and to remove snags from his pathway to the top (Num.12:1-9). To be blessed of the Lord, meekness is a must (1Pet.5:5). There is nothing you have that was not received from above. Whatever is good in your life is a gift from God. Please be humble.
7. Invest Believingly.
At the table of rewards, faith is a must (Heb.11:6). It takes faith to access the blessing of God. Whatever is not of faith constitutes sin and sin does not make room for the blessing of God.
These seven keys may appear minor, but they constitute the major keys in the music of life. Engage the keys tirelessly. You cannot fail until you faint (Gal.6:9). Quite unfortunately, many people withdraw from the field just before harvest. You must tarry for your cloud to become full before your rain will fall (Eccl.11:3). Friends, wake up, you are the next on line for superlative breakthrough in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
N.B. Some other chapters to follow in an update. Watch out !
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