Last week a painful memory resurfaced—one that I was unaware still affected me. Within 24 hours, God miraculously ordered circumstances to provide me with healing and breakthrough.

I know that my life will never be the same again. And yet I was neither seeking nor expecting this turn of events.

Being caught by surprise by God’s goodness reminded me of what the psalmist David wrote of the life of faith:

‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.’ (Ps 23:6)

When we think of the word ‘follow,’ many of us envisage someone following along behind us, with a space of distance between.

However, for those of us who trust in Jesus for salvation, the goodness and mercy of God does not follow us at a distance. Instead, it accompanies us and—like one wave upon another—continually overtakes and comes upon us.

Waves of God’s Blessing

God’s goodness is both the essence of His nature and the manifestation of His nature. (See Exodus 33:19)

One expression of God’s goodness towards us is His blessing. [1] As Christian believers, we know that:

‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles…’ (Gal 3:13-14)

We can expect the blessing of God to be continually operating in our lives—not based upon our performance, but upon

• Our intimate relationship with God and
• Our trust in the salvation that Jesus has accomplished on the cross.

Waves are a great picture of blessing. In Deuteronomy 28, the blessings are described as ‘accompanying’ and ‘coming upon’ God’s people. (Deut 28:1-14)

Breaking the Power of Fear and Anxiety

In the Bible, hope means to have a confident expectation of receiving good from the hand of God.

To fear means to expect a negative outcome. Fear is defined as ‘an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.’ [2]

Why is it that many times we fear evil overtaking us—as though we were still living under the curse of the law? (Deut 28: 15-68) This fear manifests as worry and anxiety.

Instead, as children of a loving Father, we should be in constant expectation of His favour and blessing.

When we catch a revelation of the goodness of God towards us, the power of fear and anxiety will be broken off our lives.

God’s Goodness in Times of Trial

Does this mean that bad things will never happen to us? No—for we live in a fallen and broken world; in and amongst human weakness.

The favour and goodness of God does not mean that we will not ever experience spiritual or physical battles.

However, it does mean that in the midst of the trial, we can expect His blessing to accompany us and to fall upon us.

Let’s go back to Psalm 23 to discover what it means to have the goodness and mercy of God follow us every day of our lives.

1. Faced with Need?

THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. (Ps 23:1, AMP)

In times of need, we can know Him intimately as our shepherd and provider—more than at any other time.

2. Tired and Weary?

‘He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.’ (Ps 23:2-3)

In times of exhaustion, we can trust God to lead us to Divinely-appointed places of rest and refreshment.

3. In a Dark Place?

‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ (Ps 23:4)

As we journey through dark times in our lives, we can be miraculously free of fear. In the darkest of places, the richest treasures of His Presence are available to us.

4. Surrounded by Enemies?

‘You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.’ (Ps 23:5)

In times of spiritual warfare, we can experience a feast of God’s goodness. In these times, we can receive a fresh infilling and empowering of His Spirit.

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‘All the days of my life.’ That means yesterday, today and tomorrow. No day of your life is excluded.

It has often been said, ‘Everybody wants a miracle, but no one wants to be in the position when they need one.’ [3]

And yet, when we are faced with obstacles or going through difficulties, we are positioned to encounter the goodness of God more than any other time. [4]

We can live in constant anticipation of God’s goodness and blessing—not just when things are going well, but through all the ups and downs of life.

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Has this article touched you in some way? Do you have any experiences to share about God’s goodness and blessing? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

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Notes

[1] For a definition and discussion on blessing, see the article I wrote on the topic of blessing last year, 3 Mistaken Beliefs About the Blessing of God.

[2] Dictionary definition of fear from http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/fear?region=us

[3] David McCracken noted this recently on Twitter. For daily inspiration, follow David here: @davidmccracken

You can also follow me on Twitter here: @HelenCalder

[4] Here are some personal testimonies of God’s goodness that I have previously shared in Enliven Blog:

Experiencing God as provider during a time of financial need: http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2011/04/11/prophetic-song-precedes-breakthrough/

A miraculous ordering of events: http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/06/29/the-power-of-a-prophetic-act/

Healed from an orphan mindset: http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/09/05/no-longer-an-orphan-how-i-discovered-the-fathers-love/

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© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

Did you receive this from a friend? Read more from Enliven Blog or sign to receive our weekly prophetic teaching updates at http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog

I shared last week about how after 33 years as a Christian I had a life-changing encounter with God as Father.

Realising that I had spent years living out of an ‘orphan’ perspective, I went back to the Bible with fresh eyes—beginning with Genesis. That is where I discovered the Father’s blessing.

Today I would like to share with you three mistaken beliefs that many of us have concerning God’s blessing. The truth is, that the blessing Jesus has made available to us is much more glorious than we could comprehend! [1,2]

Myth #1: Blessing is an Enjoyable, but Occasional Event

As Christians, we often say that God has blessed us when something good happens.  Or we may say that we are blessed when we are experiencing happiness in relationships, health or financial success.

If we take the meaning that we use in our everyday life for the word ‘blessing,’ then what we are actually saying is that blessing is transient, and unreliable—but is it?

TRUTH: The Bible reveals that we already have our Father’s blessing. Blessing is not based on circumstances or events, but upon God’s Word.

One of the New Testament Greek words translated ‘to bless’ is eulogeo. It literally means, ‘to speak well of.’ You might recognise it as the root word from which we get the word, ‘eulogy.’

When we speak a eulogy today, we are reflecting upon the past achievements and fruitfulness of someone’s life. However in the Bible, God speaks a blessing over our lives ahead of time. And God’s word of blessing has the creative power to bring that word to pass. (Is 55:11, Luke 1:37)

Created for Blessing

‘God created human beings in his own image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said…’ (Gen 1:27-28)

We are created for blessing. The first words that God spoke over Adam and Eve were words of blessing! This blessing consisted primarily of three things:

1. Fruitfulness (Gen 1:28)

You are blessed to be fruitful. (John 15:8, 16). You are blessed to have a significant life, to be someone who makes an eternal difference in the lives of others.

2. Dominion (Authority) (Gen 1:28)

You are blessed and created to rule. Your spiritual DNA is to be an overcomer in life; a victor, not a victim.

3. Provision (Gen 1:29)

The third part of the Father’s creation blessing was provision. He said, ‘I give you….’ Here God is saying, ‘I am the source of everything you need. Even those practical provisions like food, come from Me!’ (see also Matt 6:25-33)

In addition to the above, each one of us has a unique and personal blessing over our lives. Throughout scripture God reveals Himself to His people, bringing individual words of commissioning, as well as the promise of His Presence and provision. Prophecy often taps into this personal blessing.

Myth #2: I am not Blessed when I am Going Through a Difficult Time

Our common view of blessing leads us to believe that if we are struggling with problems or long-term trials, then we are not being blessed.

TRUTH: We are blessed when we are going through trials.

I remember a number of years ago, in a desperate state with nothing left to give, coming across these words of Jesus:

‘You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.’ (Matt 5:5-6, MSG)

James sums it up like this:

‘Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.’ (James 1:12)

Jesus Himself did not just bless those who were ‘successful’ in the world’s eyes. He spoke words of blessing over children, over the poor and bereaved and over those persecuted. He commanded His followers to bless their enemies. (Beatitudes—Matt 5:3-12)

Blessing is not an event, it is the word of the Father over our lives that manifests through our life’s journey. (Ps 23:4, Is 43:1-3)
Breakthrough is one manifestation of the blessing of God. But so is experiencing our Father’s favour when we respond well during a trial.

We can rest assured that no matter what is happening now, the blessing of God over our lives is acting like a great magnet, drawing us irresistibly towards the fulfillment of that blessing. (see Job 42:12-16)

Myth #3: I Have to Do Something to be Blessed

I still catch myself thinking that I have to ‘do’ something in order to earn a blessing from God.

TRUTH: My Father has already blessed me by His word. I have His blessing because of what Jesus has done, not because of anything I can do to earn it.

Adam and Eve were blessed by God before they had ever accomplished anything. This blessing strikes at the very root of our drive to perform to please God.

Before they ever did anything to deserve it, the Father blessed them. They were blessed just by virtue of being His children. And so are we.

The belief that blessing is based upon performance is an Old Testament viewpoint.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God and removed themselves from the place of relationship with God from which His blessing flowed.

When God introduced the law of Moses, blessing became tied to obedience of the law. Deuteronomy 28 describes blessings and curses related to keeping the law.

But the law could never be perfectly kept. In Galatians, Paul points out that the law was designed to lead us to Jesus. (Gal 3:23-25)

When Jesus died on the cross for our sin, He took the curse of the law upon Himself. (Gal 3:10-14) The blessing due to Him has come upon us.

Because of what Jesus has done, we now live under an open heaven of favour and blessing over our lives

The blessing that Adam and Eve enjoyed, and the blessing that Jesus has, now belongs to you and me. (Eph 1:3-6)

How to Position for Blessing

Blessing cannot be earned; however, we can position ourselves to receive it and enter into it. Here are some ways in which we can do that:

• Study and grasp the Biblical perspective of blessing

• Foster unity in our relationships and churches (Ps 133:3)

• Renew our minds by thinking in accord with God’s blessing over us (Rom 12:2)
  We need to feed the anticipation of God’s goodness towards us. Why should we have more faith in the enemy’s power to destroy, than Gods power to do good? Jesus came to give us abundant life.  (John 10:10)

• Speak in agreement with God’s blessing over ourselves and others. (James 3:9-11) We are created in God’s image and can be agents of God’s blessing through the words of our mouth.

• Stay in an intimate place of relationship with God.
  This is the most vital key of all. As we listen and obey Him, power is released to bring God’s word of blessing to fulfillment in our lives.

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Notes:

[1] Due to the limitations of a single article, I am unable to share all the wonderful truths I have learned from the Bible about blessing! Maybe you, like me, would enjoy more nuggets of truth from the Bible on this topic.

Just for you, I am including a few more thoughts and findings in the comments section of this post. You may like to add your own thoughts and feedback, too. If the comments section is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

[2] For the purpose of this discussion, by myth I mean a widespread belief in the Christian community that has no basis in Biblical truth

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Related Posts:

Breaking Free From An Orphan Mindset

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church