kneel

"I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12: 2-3

God's covenant with Abram is filled with the language and promise of blessing.

The Hebrew word for blessing is Barak (yes, that is what President Obama's name means), and when you look at the etymology of this Hebrew word - it literally means "to kneel." In the Old Testament sense of the word, a blessing was something of value given graciously from one of power and authority to someone of lower standing. This blessing was a public declaration of favor, and endowed the recipient with power for prosperity and success. It was clearly a wonderful thing to receive a blessing - and since it was a gift and favor that one truly did not deserve or earn, it was traditionally received by humbly kneeling and accepting.

One receives a blessing by humbly kneeling.

Abram received wonderful unmerited blessings from God - the promise of land, descendants, and future blessings from God and others. All of these Abram humbled knelt and received, for who could imagine anything better than receiving a blessing from God himself! God loves to bestow blessings upon His children because He wants the world to know His love, His peace, His joy, and His faithfulness. Now, did you notice why God gave Abram these blessings? There was a reason or purpose behind the gifts...

Abram received these blessings so that through them, he might be a blessing to all of the families on the earth. Abram was blessed in order to be a blessing to others. This is the simple motive behind God, in His good pleasure blessing us - He wants us to use whatever blessing He has given us in order to bless others. Our blessings from God are not to be hoarded or used only for personal pleasure, or selfish gain - but in humble thanksgiving seeking out others to bless.

What might this blessing of others look like?

Just as we received our blessings from God on our knees, we also ought to offer to bless the world on our knees. We truly bless the world, when we humble ourselves before them and become their servant. We were fully given our blessings through Jesus, about whom it is said, "He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Eph. 1:3 This same Jesus, gracefully gave us these rich blessings by humbling Himself, even to death on a cross. Jesus became a suffering servant to give us our heavenly blessings, and as He does so, He says, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." John 13:15

We are called to bless the world by humbly serving them - one gives a blessing by humbly kneeling.

Be God's, Scott