Walk Of Life – Day 26, July 2021 – Thoughts From The Book Of Proverbs – Be Diligent
Be Diligent To Bless
Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight. – Proverbs 26:2
BE DILIGENT has been our theme throughout this month and our Lord has been teaching us different aspects of being diligent pertaining to the physical world as well as spiritually. We have stepped in to the last week of this learning series of being diligent and today God tells us to be diligent to bless.
As a child it was a great joy for me to move on from class to class with a box of chocolates on my birthday to give to all the teachers. Most of the teachers used to wish me “Happy birthday. Many more returns of the day” but the wish that delighted me the most is that from a very elderly Anglo Indian Teacher who used to wish with a graceful smile “God bless you dear.” You know many years have rolled on and I haven’t met her for a a very long time, but those wishes still remain fresh in my life. She was very diligent to bless, not only for the children who celebrate the birthdays but also for the parents who trouble her and argue with her. However she was insulted she always had the same reply “God Bless You Dear!”.
As a believer, I have failed many times to bless those who raise an argument with me. I try to be quiet and calm but usually I end up in raising my tone, giving back bitterly using all my debating techniques until they become quiet. What a wretched human being am I! Am I not chosen to bless others and to be a blessing? Yes I am.
Zachariah 8:13 says “So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’ God’s people are blessed to bless others. God pours out His grace on us so that we will slop it over on others who are starving and dying without hope.
Because God has promised to bless us abundantly, we should be a blessing to others.
Our God wants us to bless others which we see from the following verses.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. – Numbers 6: 22-27
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. – Romans 12:14
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. – 1 Peter 3:9
And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. – Mark 10:16
The concept of “blessed to be a blessing” teaches us something very basic about God’s expectations for each of us. It’s not just about Abraham, you do realize that! This is a fundamental statement of purpose that applies to everyone who through faith becomes part of the people of God. Hence let’s be diligent to bless others at all times even when what we receive from them is a curse.
