COMMANDED

The LORD will COMMAND the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you – Deuteronomy 28:8

There are Commanded Blessings that will cause you to rise out of lack into abundance. These are the promises of God that carry within them His immutable and irrevocable power for fulfilment. Eight times in the Genesis 1, everything God “said” was followed by “and it was so.”  God made statements and amazing things resulted. But, when He issues a Command, things assume a whole new dimension of assurance. Hebrews 6:18 illustrates the immutability of His counsel when He swears an oath: “that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” When God says something, it happens. When He commands a blessing, it is like swearing an oath based on two complimentary forces which cannot be changed, annulled or stopped.

God has commanded blessings in three areas: in Giving; in Unity; and on His Redeemed people. He assured Israel: “Then I will command My blessing on YOU in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years” (Lev.25:21). This Commanded Blessing was premised on God’s instruction to His people not to plant crops every 7^th year. He would give them more than enough in the 6th year to last all the way through the 7^th, on through the 8^th year when they had planted again and all the way to the 9^th year when the harvest of the eighth would be brought in! The sixth year’s crops would be commanded by God to be blessed and last for two extra years. If they committed themselves to obeying God and giving up a year’s income which their crops could have earned, He would bless them the same as if they never had given up anything. God gives back much more to us than we ever gave to Him, and He gives in far more ways than we could ever enumerate.

Next, God commands His blessing on the Unity of Believers: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in Unity!…It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD COMMANDED the blessing – Life forevermore” (Psa.133:1,3). God poured out the Holy Spirit on the first believers as they were together in one accord (Acts 2:1-4). Finally, His blessing is commanded on His chosen people: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”’ “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Num.6:22-27). And to us, He says: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people…” (1Pet.2:9a).

God commanded Aaron to bless the people of Israel. These are not empty, idle words routinely spoken at the end of Sunday Services. “The Lord Bless You” captures the essence of the covenant blessings in Deutronomy 28:1-14. He keeps you – preserves you safe from evil. He makes His face of favor, illumination, and revelation to shine on you. He is gracious to you and lifts up the light of His countenance on you – thay you may fellowship with the Glow of His Glory (Exo.34:29-34). And His Presence gives you peace! Do you believe that the Lord will command His blessings on all that you set your hands on? What have you set your hands on? God does not bless idle hands. When you are occupied for Him “in the land” where He has positioned you, God will bless your hands to hold, handle, and enjoy His commanded blessings and abundant bounties.