It does not take a deep expedition into the pages of Scripture to find the promises of God’s blessings for obedience. Whether one is considering the life of Abraham, the promises to David, or the writings of Paul, the blessings of God are a consistent theme of the Bible. God blesses man in many ways, both physically and spiritually. His concern for our lives and welfare is amply demonstrated in every aspect of the commands that are given, so that we might live long, peaceable lives in his service (1 Tim. 2:2; Eph. 6:3).
Recognizing the blessings of God, there is a question that should follow in our minds: do we bless God? The word “bless” is defined by Webster as, “To make happy; to make successful; to prosper in temporal concerns; to set apart or consecrate to holy purposes; to make and pronounce holy; to praise; to glorify, for benefits received; etc.” In other words, to bless one means to give praise, to make happy and successful, and to separate from others.
As Christians, we give great attention to the blessings God has given us, but are we giving equal attention to the blessings we give God? Abraham is described as the friend of God (Jam.2:23), David as a man after God’s own heart (Acts13:22), and others are related in Hebrews 11. These men and women blessed God by their lives and deeds; they served him acceptably, devoted their lives to his commandments, and willingly engaged in his service wherever it led.
When God looks at our lives, is he blessed for our existence? Can God see who we are and what we have become with joy and happiness for the love and devotion directed toward him? Do we spend our days praising him and extolling his virtues or cursing him and negating his value?
Your life has the opportunity to be a blessing to everyone you meet. You can, through your attitude and actions make men happy to know you, thankful to have met you, and hopeful to see you again. But along with that you must remember two things: 1) that if your actions and attitudes are ungodly and immoral, it will have the opposite effect on those you meet; and 2) that God’s view of you can be affected by your actions the same as men’s.
Mankind is created in the image of God and he is an emotional being. He loves and hates. He feels joy and sorrow. His letters through the prophets portray the depth of his emotional involvement with his people on both an individual and collective level. Therefore, our actions and attitudes have a direct effect upon God. You can break God’s heart, or make his day; bring him joy, or cause him pain; let him accept you as a friend, or make him acknowledge you as an enemy.
With every decision we make and every direction we take, we impact the emotions of God. As we consider our lives, do we bless him? As we desire his blessings, do we impart the same? May God bless you, and may you bless him.