GOD’S CIRCLE OF BLESSINGS (1)

“Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and BLESS you…” – Genesis 26:3a

Isaac, Abraham’s son, was a great example of living in GOD’S CIRCLE of BLESSINGS: “Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and BLESS you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father” (Gen.26: 2-3). There was a famine in the country where Isaac lived and he wondered if he should leave like many others and go to Egypt where there was no famine. God told Isaac to stay in Gerar and that He would be with him in his obedience. God promised him increase in all areas of life. So, in the midst of famine, despair, and lack, Isaac was blessed with extreme abundance because he stayed where God wanted him – in His circle of blessing.

In obedience to divine instruction, Isaac enjoyed Divine Presence, abundant fruitfulness, and increase to the point that the Philistines envied him: “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD BLESSED him. The man BEGAN to PROSPER, and CONTINUED PROSPERING until he became VERY PROSPEROUS” (vv.12-13). Just as Isaac experienced ever-increasing Prosperity and great bounty in the midst of famine, so can we, when we choose to remain in God’s Circle of Blessings even as our circumstances scream “famine”! We can live in the Circle of Blessings – where we’re protected from sickness and disease, disaster, financial downturns and breakdowns in relationships. But it isn’t automatic! We must know what to do to keep ourselves encircled in God’s Blessings.

First, is to develop the right relationship with God. Being kept in His bubble or circle of protection is guaranteed only for one kind of person – “he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High” (Psa.91:1). The secret place is a fully protected place created for us by God, where Satan has no access. But we must dwell – “stay or remain” – there! That means we’re not coming in and out of fellowship with God – we stay close so we can hear and obey when He talks to us. We are not people who live for God one day, then go out into the world the next, doing things they shouldn’t. We aren’t people who attend church once in a while (usually the New Year cross-over service), and spend time with God occasionally when it occurs to them. The people in God’s Circle of Blessings are those devoted to Him and His Word.

Second: Obedience to God’s Word and to His Voice is paramount, whether He commands, “Wait” or “Run”! Whatever He says to do per time is the right thing: “Whatever He says to you, do it” (Jh.2:5b). In His Circle of Blessings, we must be ready to LISTEN, Trust, and Obey! Those in God’s Circle of Blessings have cultivated the habit of inoculating themselves with His Word: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart” (Dt.6:6); “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psa.119:11).

We can inoculate ourselves and loved ones with the assurances of Psalms 23 or 91, for examples: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psa.23:6a); “No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” (Psa.91:10). That means no sickness, disease, or calamity will come near those who are seeking, obeying and loving God – encircled by His Love and Blessings! Living in God’s Circle of Blessing enables us to enjoy the best in life even when circumstances around us tell, and sometimes yell, otherwise.