Bless and You Will Be Blessed
By James Robison
"A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was
separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon;
it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold."
(Genesis 1:10-11)
In the past couple of months, millions of people around the world have given freely and generously to help the victims of the southeast Asian tsunami. So-called “Christian” nations have given to Muslim countries. Wealthy nations have given to poor countries. Despite the terrorism around the world, and the fact that many terror cells resided in some of the countries affected by the disaster, people have responded to the human need in an unprecedented way.
In The Purpose-Driven Life, author Rick Warren writes, “Most people fail to realize that money is both a test and a trust from God. God uses finances to teach us to trust him, and for many people, money is the greatest test of all. God watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are.”
When we are in financial need, we are tested. And when we see others in need, we are again tested in a different way. In the end, those who have given to the poor, the hurting, the “least of these,” as the Bible puts it, will be blessed.
This truth, which I call the “river principle,” is illustrated in the fact that the headwater region is the first recipient of everything that is released downstream. In other words, just as the river blesses every place it flows, so too the headwaters spring forth with abundant life. So even though the nature of a river is to release its water, the river itself is the first to receive.
Take note of the huge trees on the banks of the rivers and creeks providing shade and shelter for wildlife and for us. If we bless, we will be blessed.
When we focus on releasing all the resources that God entrusts to us—not storing up bigger things, hanging on, hording it up, trying to protect it, trying to guard it, and living in absolute misery—we will experience the joy of abundant living even as we release the flow of abundant life to others. Only then will we actually experience the reality of “God giving us all things richly to enjoy.”
Second Corinthians 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
If you take this passage to heart, God promises you will receive much more than material gain. Those who know Christ are rich beyond measure—rich in salvation, forgiveness, joy, peace, glory, honor, and majesty. That, my friend, is true prosperity. Once you’ve received these blessings from above, I encourage you to share them with others so that they too can be blessed and know what it means to truly prosper.
This Week
Focus on meeting someone else’s needs. Stop worrying about your own needs and trust God to supply them “according to His riches,” instead of your own expectations.
Prayer
“Lord, teach me to view money merely as a tool for your glory. Show me how to bless others as the river pours out life downstream.”
Order James Robison’s book True Prosperity.
