Four Functions of the Blessing and Five Aspects of the Blessing

Have you longed for your parents or someone to bless you? Have you longed to know how to bless your children? Do you have intentions of blessing others (spouses, friends, pastors, teachers, neighbors) but not know what to say?


I have been reading The Gift of The Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent.  My plan is to give you the highlights of the blessing so that you can know you are highly valued by God and so that you can use your words to bless others from the blessing you receive from God.

There were four functions of the Blessing in the Old Testament:

1. The word for blessing pictured God's original plan for mankind. One of the very first things God did after creating man and woman was to bless them.  In Genesis 1:27-28 "God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. Then God blessed them..."  This was God's creative purpose.

2. The Blessing was a time to pull together a group (to unite a group)

3. The Blessing was a time to call upon God's protection.

4. The blessing was used to mark an important rite of passage: a birth (Ruth 4:14-15); a marriage (Gen. 24:60) or on the passing of leadership from older to younger generation (Gen. 27:1; 48:1).

The Family Blessing Includes:

Meaningful Touch
- come near and kiss me (Abraham says to Isaac in Gen. 27:26)
- meaningful touch is very important when you say the blessing. Meaningful touch can include kissing, hugging or laying on of hands.
- touch communicates warmth, personal acceptance, affirmation.

A Spoken Message
Some people think they are doing ok just because they are not yelling or bringing their children down by their words. However, "a lack of negative words does not translate into a spoken blessing." (The Gift of the Blessing, pg. 20).  Silence can harm our children. They are left to fill in the blanks.
We need to verbalize to our children how we accept them and love them.

Attaching "High Value" to the One Being Blessed
To bless means to bow the knee. Therefore, we are to share the high value of person we are blessing based on who they are not simply on their performance.

Picturing a Special Future for the One Being Blessed
A child gains " a sense of security in the present and grows in confidence to serve God and others in the future." when they are blessed (pg. 23) This part of the blessing  means we know the gifts and character traits that our child or person we are to bless possesses. Also share with them these attributes or character traits God can bless and use in their future.

An Active Commitment to Fulfill the Blessing
You need to take time with your children to develop a certain skill.   Words alone are not good enough. You need to back up words with commitment.

In future posts, I will elaborate on the five aspects of the blessings with examples.

Ever Present Help

Our God is a God that helps. In today's age, people have many worries. They worry about the loss of a job or potential loss of a job. People worry about how to meet budget. People worry about what clothes they will wear and what food they will eat. People compare to others and want more. People feel like they are not enough and do not have enough. Then there are people who don't worry about physical needs but they worry about relationships. They worry they are missing out on a friendship or a marriage. They worry that they are not working hard enough. People worry that they are not experiencing enough, studying enough, and teaching their children enough.  People worry that they will not have enough time. I fall into the category of wanting more time and experiences. I don't worry about physical needs but I constantly contemplate relationships, learning and experiences.

I have been learning since becoming a Mommy that God truly is my all in all. I am learning to be still and quiet and realize He is my strength when I am tired, sick and weak. He is my ever present help in trouble when there is a communication difficulty in my marriage. He is my refuge when my expectations are not met. I can sit within His shelter and realize I am safe to pour out my heart.  He gives me strength to serve others without expecting anything in return.

God has promised good to me (and you). Once when I was fearing, I heard God's word speak to my heart. God said "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." I am safe under God's protection no matter what is happening around me or who is falling near me.

Scripture:
Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Observations:
1. We will not fear because we have God who is our refuge
2. We will not fear because God is our strength
3. We will not fear because God is an ever present help in trouble.

Application: I do not need to fear. The end of this Psalm speaks of being still and knowing He is God. This type of knowing is an intimate knowing. We can be still when troubles or storms come because we truly and intimately know God is our refuge, our strength and an ever present help in trouble.  A definition of refuge is to be sheltered  or safe from danger, pursuit or trouble. God is definitely the solid rock of refuge. God is all our hope and stay as he gives us strength to face the circumstances we are in. God is not sometimes present in our lives to help us. God is available day or night (anytime). We can call out to him. We don't have to wait until our husbands are home or our friend or Mother answers the phone. God is always available to us and He is the one that can help us out of any trouble or heartache. I usually journal to God to come to Him as my ever present help. Sometimes I just want to read my Bible, pray, work hard and I forget to just pour out my heart to Him. When I pour out my heart to God, I don't feel the need to do it to my husband or others as much. I am then free to listen to them and to just enjoy them and love them rather than feeling I have to get it all out. This is still an area of application for me and I am thankful that God truly is our refuge - a safe place to pour out everything on my heart and my mind. He strengthens me not just physically but mentally and spiritually. God is my help!!!!

Prayer:  Lord thank you that you keep me safe. Thank you that I can run to you no matter what time of day. Thank you that your eyes are on your people. Thank you that you are our refuge by day and by night. Thank you that you strengthen my heart through losses and that I can count it all but gain to have you. Thank you Lord that your love surrounds me.