Genesis 1:22 – God blessed them [animals], saying. “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28 – God blessed them [people]. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
We live in a world that’s increasingly negative, rude, and critical towards one another. The Bible, on the other hand, speaks of “blessing” over 400 times and the book of Genesis, more than any other book, speaks of it 80 times.
Genesis speaks a great deal about the distinction between blessings and curses. God blesses His people with children, possessions, a long life, friends, the ability to persevere, and in many other ways. On the other hand, He curses in response to sin, and this can include separation from blessing and the Blesser (God) as well as judgments in the form of famine, oppression, and exile.
Practically, as a dad, I love to be able to bless my kids as they are all walking with Jesus and trying to do what He has for them. Just as God is a Heavenly Father, if we’re walking on His path and trying our best to do what He calls us to do, He too wants to bless us. Every week I have lunch on Tuesdays with my oldest daughter and on Wednesdays with my oldest son, both of whom are married, and my sole goal of lunch is to unburden and bless them. It’s one of the greatest joys of my life.
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to bless someone else, letting God work through you, you know that you, in turn, are blessed through the process. I would encourage you to find increased circumstances for God to work through you to bless other people on this earth until we receive the greatest blessing of being reunited with our Creator at the end of this life.
How can you bless someone else in your life this week as a reflection of how God blesses you?
To help you study the book of Genesis with us, we have the first of three free e-book study guides here.
For a free PDF of Pastor Mark and Dr. Breshears’ Doctrine book, click here as chapter 3 specifically addresses creation.
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