Blessings or Curses

I've been reading a book with keen interest, as it presents a biblical view on a subject I had not previously given great thought.  This recent recommendation for me is titled, "Blessing or Curse:  You Can Choose" by Derek Prince.  I am about halfway through the book, and it presents a compelling picture of the reality both of divine blessings and curses.  Admittedly I have given much greater focus on the blessings rather than curses.  But since blessings and curses are often stated in the Bible as opposites of one another, it stands to reason if we will have blessings from God room must be provided for the influence of a curse.  If we desire a blessing we should do what God promises to bless and avoid what brings a curse.  Reading this book has caused me to consider my own life and confess sin before the LORD.  I rejoice that Jesus has become a curse for me He can break the power over every single one.

It's a funny thing, that Christians believe God "blesses" people but when we speak of "curses" it starts sounding hokey or bizarre.  Yet both the Old and New Testaments are consistent in saying blessings from God accompany faith and obedience to Him, and curses accompany sinful choices and behaviour.  Sin is never committed in isolation in a person's life, but the darkness begins to affect all areas of a person.  Bitterness and hatred are like poisons which impact our thoughts, words, and deeds.  And even more sinister is the impact our sin can potentially have on people around us - even future generations!  The book also emphasises the power and importance of our words in speaking to people, when we speak of ourselves, and words uttered to God in prayer.

Proverbs 26:2 is one of the many verses explained in the book:  "Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight."  It is a fair point:  every curse has a cause, and they will impact specific areas of our lives.  Sometimes we may not realise we are under a curse, but if there is sin from which we have not repented there is great cause.  Here is a small sampling of warnings God issued His beloved, chosen people in Deuteronomy 28:15-19, "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: ¹⁶ Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. ¹⁷ Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ¹⁸ Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. ¹⁹ Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out."

There is no middle ground between blessings and curses from God.  Which side of that line would you like to be on?  God promises great blessings for those who obey Him, and Deuteronomy 28:13 holds forth a memorable one:  "And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them."  Do you feel like a "tail" sometimes, like you are at the mercy of your circumstances, being dragged along without a choice?  In the book Prince remarked we often say things like, "I'm ok - under the circumstances."  He asked, "But whatever are you doing under the circumstances?"  He challenged the reader to answer these questions of self-evaluation:  "Am I living like a head or a tail?  Am I living under my circumstances, or above them?  The answers we give will help us to see how much of God's blessing we are actually enjoying." (Prince, Derek. Blessing or Curse: You Can Choose! Old Tappan, NJ: Chosen, 1990. 50. Print.)

Praise God Jesus Christ is able to set us free from generational and self-imposed curses in a moment when we confess with our lips, repent in our hearts, and renounce the evil, replacing a curse with a blessing.  There are no magic words or formulas to follow, but a heart regenerated by Jesus through faith and the willingness to trust and obey.  The ones Jesus sets free are free indeed!

Give Thanks to the LORD

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. ²  Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. ³  Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever..."

Psalm 136:1-3

It is good to give thanks to the LORD for all He has done, to show gratitude by remembrance for all He has provided.  In our giving of thanks let us not forget God is worthy of thanks and praise at all times, in all seasons of life.  The psalmist exhorts us to give thanks to the LORD because of His character, because of who He is.  He is the LORD, He is good, the God of gods, the Lord of lords, and His mercy endures forever.

Consider the rather lengthy definition of "mercy" by Webster in his 1828 Dictionary:  "That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant.  In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy.  That which comes nearest to it is grace.  It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders.  Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being."  It is within God's power and right to immediately and severely punish all offenders, but His mercy endures forever.  He is gracious and slow to anger, and as a sinner I am most thankful.

I am also thankful God's mercy is extended to those who do not know God or are even in rebellion against Him.  I am glad He is patient and longsuffering, willing to endure decades and centuries of disobedience so people might repent and be saved.  Let us not make the error of mistaking God's mercy for approval of sin or that we will not be required to answer to Him for our lack of mercy towards others.  Having received such mercy from God, let us be thankful when we are divinely helped to extend it to others.  Thank God for being such a benevolent God, the One worthy of all praise and trust.  His mercy endures forever, and by His grace Christians will live as beneficiaries of Him forever!

The Benefit of Forgetting

If there is a benefit of forgetting, it is the goodness of God's reminders.  When I feel like I do not need reminders, I do not appreciate them.  I have been guilty in the past of a sigh or an eye-roll after a well-intended reminder of something not yet forgotten.  But we all forget, don't we?  Instead of being annoyed when I am reminded, I aim to be thankful in the future.

Today I experienced a good example of the benefit of forgetting.  I had coordinated the installation of a dedicated circuit with an electrician at church.  His card reader wasn't working properly, so he left an invoice with the bank details of the company.  Soon after I began to wrap up a little plumbing project and completely forgot about the invoice I had agreed to pay later in the day.  As I locked up the building, I noticed my watch was missing.  Ah yes, I had removed the watch to finish connecting braided flex lines.  I walked back into the building to see my watch AND the outstanding invoice laying on the bench.  I was grateful to God I had forgotten to put on my watch, otherwise I would have forgotten about the invoice and driven home - and consequently added an extra trip to and from church.

How thankful I was for the reminder!  We all need reminders of God's love and promises to us, and these often come through the Bible and people.  Just today I received a sweet note someone had remembered me, and it was very special.  To be reminded a person loves you is a priceless gift.  Scripture is full of reminders.  Joshua was overwhelmed at the prospect of leading God's people into the land of promise, and God reminded him during a single conversation in Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  You may have forgotten many things God has said or done for you, but as an obedient child of God today remember this:  be strong and of good courage, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go!

We forget, but God never forgets us.  He never forgets what He has promised.  He is forever faithful and let us bring Him into remembrance.  Many times in scripture people who trusted God prayerfully reminded Him of what He had said and God heard them gladly.  Admitting I forget makes me appreciate reminders more than ever.

Hope for All

During my study of the book of Isaiah I have come to a realisation:  there is always hope for individuals in God, even if a nation is "off the rails."  A day came when the northern kingdom of Israel fell and was never rebuilt.  Because Israel rebelled from God, committed abomination, and refused to return, God put the northern kingdom away.  He even allowed Jerusalem to fall at the hands of the Babylonians and temporarily caused Judah to go into captivity.  The seventy years of separation not only worked to purify the land of sin, but to restore a remnant to Himself who would return and remain faithful to Him.  Even in a land riddled with idolatry and abominations, God reserves for Himself loyal people who love Him.

Because the people in Jerusalem refused to repent and return to the LORD, ultimately the LORD caused it to fall at the hands of their enemies.  From a wordly vantage point it seems in times of judgment the righteous are made to suffer with the wicked.  But from a spiritual perspective we see those who trust in the LORD find strength and comfort in Him in spite of pain and loss.  For all our pain God provides abundant consolation (2 Cor. 1:3-7).  God proclaimed in Isaiah 45:22, "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."  Even when a nation is far from God, God promises to draw near to all individuals who call to Him in Psalm 145:18:  "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."  God shows no favouritism when it comes to love, forgiveness, divine acceptance, and salvation as we read in Romans 10:12-13, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.'"

We do not serve a "what have you done for me lately" God but a God who looks for opportunities to to show Himself strong on behalf of all those whose hearts are loyal and full of Him (2 Chron. 16:9).  This principle, that there is always assurance of salvation and deliverance for the person who trusts and calls to God, rings true in nations ruined by sin, corrupt governments, failed businesses, fractured churches, and broken families.  Organisations may fall apart, marriages might dissolve, and relationships between parents and children may be severed, and physical health be abysmal, but there is salvation for whoever calls upon the name of the LORD.  Your life may seem to be painfully torn into pieces, but there is safety, protection, healing, and wholeness for all - for you - if you will call upon the name of Jesus Christ.

The grim reality is most of the time we do not believe this.  We carefully devise our escape routes, scheme backup and contingency plans, and forget by worrying we cannot accomplish a thing.  Even if we have a perfect plan, it does not mean we have the power or ability to put it into practice - much less change the hearts or minds of others!  Listen:  look to God and be saved!  There is no bondage too great, sin too abhorrent, generational curse so powerful the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse and redeem.  No host of demons can overpower Jesus, no prognosis is so awful God is hamstrung, and no situation so convoluted God is confused or overwhelmed.  God is rich over all who call upon Him, so call upon the name of the LORD in faith and be saved.  There is hope in Christ this world cannot know, an absolute assurance based upon the Word of God which is eternal and will never pass away, that Jesus is a Saviour who loves you and will never leave or forsake you.

There is no genuine hope for anyone from this world, but there is hope for all who love God.  Look to Jesus and call upon Him fervently with expectancy.  Do not be impatient or weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not (Gal. 6:9).  Those who endure to the end will be saved.