5 October 2021 - Blessed to be a blessing

Genesis 12:2 (ESV) “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

2 Corinthians 9:11 (ESV) “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”

2 Corinthians 9:11 (MSG) He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.”

God gives you something so that you can be a blessing to others. In this way we are glorifying God.

“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” – Augustine

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV) “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Proverbs 11:25 (NLT) “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Matthew 5:7 (NLT) “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Deuteronomy 16:17 (ESV) “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.”

“Give your life, you will find your life; give little, you will receive little; give much and you will receive much; give everything and you will receive everything.” - Elias Aslaksen

Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV) “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

If you have something, you can give something. God is looking for someone to stand in the gap. You are blessed to be a blessing.

1 Peter 3:9 (GNT) “Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.”

“When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.” - Joel Osteen