"IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and OVERTAKE you IF you heed the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body (children) and the fruit of your ground (labors) ..." - The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
God has made us irresistible to His favor and blessing, but sometimes the possibility of promotion intimidates us.
Promotion (the act of being raised in position or rank) brings new doors and opportunities; but also brings greater accountability, challenges and responsibilities.
Most people would rather adapt to the life they live now, rather than make changes to live the LIFE they've always dreamed of. But when you stop dreaming, you stop the transformation begun in your life and settle for your current level or stage.
RIGHT NOW, there are still great things God has put in your heart to do that are unfulfilled. And somehow, people, places, lack of funds and self-esteem, have made you feel incapable, unqualified and unprepared to carry the vision from dream to reality; from notes to product (or program) launch; from the unseen to seen realm.
Maybe you have paralyzed your own destiny by saying things like, "I've never done it before!" "I'm not sure it will work." But God has never required experience at the expense of faith. His blessing is connected to our obedience, which is the constant act or "instance" of obeying what He has spoken.
An "instance" is an urgent or earnest solicitation. Therefore, what God has put in our heart to do is not a choice. It is an urgent command that carries a blessing when we respond with the same urgency.
But what does it really mean to be "blessed?" Is it just a cliché that is rarely experienced fully or only attained by a select few? Is it just blind faith or expectation? To have a lifestyle of blessing, we must understand its meaning and expect rewards daily in our lives to follow.
The word "blessed" means to be: 1.) Happy, 2.) Fortunate, 3.) Prosperous, and 4.) Enviable:
- HAPPY means to be favored by fortune; to be notably fitting, effective, or well adapted and not easily irritated; it is having an atmosphere of well-being, contentment and good fellowship.
- FORTUNATE means to bring some good thing not foreseen as certain; or to receive an unexpected good.
- PROSPEROUS means to be favorably disposed; to have an advantage (i.e. in the marketplace) by a prophetic or a favorable sign (gift, talent or potential); to be marked by success, vigorous/healthy growth or economic well-being.
- ENVIABLE is a painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.
People will envy what you have.
God not only makes us a magnet for favor, success and unexpected good, but a magnet of resentment and jealousy of others. But you cannot let that stop you from advancing. Because that's how intense the blessing of God is upon your life.
Your dream is designed to stand before men (and critics), not just paper.
Today, start counting the rewards (blessings) that meet the criteria above. If we can count sales, listeners, clients, membership and subscribers, then why not measure miracles, measure conversions, the number of years marriages have not filed for divorce in our churches (Imagine seeing a church billboard: "Over Ten Years, with One Thousand Marriages Strong."); why not track the daily blessing of God in our lives?
God is commanding unexpected BLESSING to OVERTAKE US in every area of life. That word "overtake" means: 1. To catch up with and pass by; 2. To come upon suddenly. He has promised that blessing will go AHEAD of us.
When the women went to the tomb in Matthew 28:5-10, history records:
"Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you." The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel's message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."
Just what God said would happen is right in front of you.
Your miracle is always ahead of you. It is never behind you (in your past.)
These women ran so fast with the Word they were given that they caught up with the miracle.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO ACT ON THE WORD GOD PUTS IN YOUR HEART?
The disciples didn't even have an itinerary to go to Galilee, but if they wanted to see all that Jesus has done for them, that's where the miracle (favor and blessing) was.
Today, God is going before you.
Blessing, favor, healing, restoration, redemption, hope that family, resurrection for that marriage or business is ahead of you.
It is not in your depression; it is not in your pity; it is not in your past or passivity. As the Angel declared, "He is not where you buried or left Him. He is risen." God is always higher than your thoughts and ways. He is always ahead of the game.
If He is going before us, that means: blessing will be at our jobs, before we get there; blessing will be at presentations, before we get there; blessing will be with bank or company decision- makers, before we get there; blessing will be with city officials and prospects, before we get there.
- We dare to pray for a season that comes upon us suddenly.
- For a promotion that comes suddenly.
- For a billion dollar account or client that comes suddenly!
What are you expecting to come suddenly and overtake you beyond your wildest expectations?
